CVI Society Convention 2017

So its that time of year again. The CVI Society Convention 2017. This year my mum and I were joined by my brother and we drove because the train was double what it would cost in petrol and parking was free. This year it was in Bristol in the Futures Inn hotel and conference centre. We were also staying for longer, we got to the hotel the day before the convention and we went home the day after the convention which I enjoyed because last year we didnt really know anyone apart from Janet and it seemed like we were just getting into the swing of it by the time we went home. This year like last year we had dinner with everyone the night before. We also had dinner with everybody after the convention as well. I did end up getting quite anxious and panicky though but after I chilled out I was fine.

So this year I was made an ambassador of the cvi society along with Art, who also presented a speech, this year and last year, about his life with CVI who is from Ireland. We are both young ambassadors for the cvi society. What I really enjoyed about the CVi society is meeting people like me, like this year I met HJ and her mum Maia and her dad Andy. She was really nice and shared my feeling of happiness to meet people like her.
Its weird because we're technically not part of the visual impairment world completely. Meeting more parents and professionals was lovely because, by imparting the struggles and things we've experienced and I guess it gives people a kind of idea of what kind of future their children could have, hopefully it provides them with ways to help them and to kind of hope and help them encourage their children with their hopes and dreams. Its hard to explain but that their is hope. I guess. Its weird. I had people come up to me and they said 'oh you'll be in demand' my mum was the one most people wanted to speak to. She was told what an amazing person she is. Of course I agree, she's my mum.

I met some really nice people, I'll be honest I'm not very good with names and faces so I can't remember everybody's names. It was really nice to put faces to names of people that you see on the forum and talk to.

I was on first again after the introductions, I had 15 minutes. I did come off thinking I had over ran but when I asked my mum, she said I didnt. I even met someone who's watched my videos besides my mum and Janet! She was really lovely and we had a long chat because she spoke about a project she's currently working on, stripping back the film industry in terms of the layers added to shows and filmas i.e special effects, sound, music. It can be quite disorientating for lots of people never mind people with sensory issues. It was a really interesting project. As I feel that at times, when its for example a really dark scene. I just want someone to lighten it up past what my screen can do. For example I love stranger things and it often has scenes outside at night and its really dark so I have my mac's screen brightness on full. But I need it even brighter. Also speaking of shows, I managed to put some recommendations out there. That people should watch orphan black, heathers both the movie and musical. Oh and Deaf West Spring Awakening. Some people I spoke to this year had even heard of them which I love even more! Thats when I really geek out and talk at a million miles a minute about how much I love them. I get like that, with things I love, like cats.

We had lots of different speakers, from professor Gordon Dutton and Richard Bowman to a lovely man who had come with his wife and son who had cvi and spoke of his experience as a father of having a child with cvi.

Also I don't know if you know this but I love shopping, and that literally over the road from the hotel was Cabot circus. A big shopping centre. So I did do some shopping. I think I was quite tame though for me.

I think my speech went well, I had people coming up to me and telling me it was really good and asking me how the whole acting thing is going. I was even asked if I would do a short Q&A type interview as a father who came to the convention is writing a book about seeing. So I was asked questions like, what I wish to see, the worst thing I've seen etc. So I could be in a book. If I am I will let people know.

Overall I had a really lovely time and cannot wait for the next convention. Got to get my thinking cap on otherwise I won't have a clue by the time it comes around. This year there was a theme of 'The new normal, what is normal?' And I found it made it easier to write the speech. I actually had a bit of writers block for this speech as I found I struggled to know what to say in response to the last speech I did. I felt I had said a lot and talked about myself and living with a visual impairment. I didnt want to repeat myself. I didnt want to copy the speech.

I am doing a blog on the convention for the cvi society website. So go read that.

So thank you for reading. I am going to Hamilton in December so I will probably write about it as I'm going on opening preview night. So the blog should be back up and running! Also thank you to the CVI Society again for everything they do, the CVI Society are a small charity and run by volunteers so if your thinking of fundraising for a charity, thing about the CVI Society. Because it would be amazing and the money would go directly to them and help them do their work and support more people. And spread the message of CVI

Thanks for reading,
until next time
Sophie