About GoldStar 
| Name | Age |
Project |
|---|---|---|
 Frank Lewis |
57 |
Gateshead Access Panel |
Frank is 57 years of age, has a visual impairment and has been a volunteer with Gateshead Access Panel for about 8 years.
“I was at a day centre and one of the clients there just asked me if I wanted to come along and see what Gateshead Access Panel did. So I came to a meeting, another meeting, then another meeting and then just got slowly and surely got sucked in…it was that interesting to be involved in what GAP were doing.”
Frank quickly became involved in work on access auditing – going out as a group and looking at the accessibility of buildings and services.
“I thought I knew about access like most people being a visually impaired person. I thought I knew all about visual impairment. Wrong. Totally wrong. You learn through time to look at your own aspects of impairment, but also other peoples aspects as well…It’s a never ending learning curve.”
This led to a greater involvement in the work of the Access Panel. Frank was then asked if he wanted to do some work in the office. This involved the development of Frank’s computer skills as well as undertaking general office work (i.e. sending and sorting out post) and filing on behalf of GAP.
In relation to IT, the problems that Frank experienced in relation to seeing the computer screen and keyboard were overcome through the use of appropriate software that enhanced the screen, the computer would talk back on what Frank had written, CCTV that magnify the written word onto the screen. Franks has also passed this knowledge onto other people.
Frank has undertaken spreadsheets and database training, presentation skills using PowerPoint and disability equality training. Frank now carries out disability equality training as part of a team from GAP. To underpin his role as trainer, Frank is currently undertaking the C & G 7302 Level 3 Certificate in Delivering Learning at Newcastle College.
Frank feels that he received a lot of support and encouragement from the GAP team.
“When I first came my confidence was a bit low because I had just lost my job a year before and I had been to a day centre, which didn’t help very much. So I just built my confidence back again and the Access Panel helped me get it back”.
Frank sees the benefits of volunteering over the past eight years as being the opportunity to:
-
Look at disability in a different light through understanding about the social model. “It’s not my fault that I am visually impaired, that I can’t do things”.
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Undertake training “I would never have touched Microsoft if I hadn’t come here”
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Learn to work with other people “It was scary at first”.
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Improve confidence
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Train others
