Emily Annakin has just completed her studies in Architecture and Planning at the University of the West of England in Bristol with a 2:1.  Prior to starting her degree and while studying for her A-levels with all the covid restrictions at the same time Emily’s eye sight started to deteriorate and she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease which also got worse during her Architecture degree.  

For part of her final year project, Emily reimagined a section of Bristol's harbour side making it more accessible and maybe more nature friendly too.

RNIB connect Radio’s Toby Davey recently caught up with Emily to find out how starting to lose her sight during her A-levels affected her at the time, how she moved from using a pencil and paper to an iPad for her architecture and planning designs during her Foundation Year and throughout her studies for her Architecture and Planning degree. Looking at how to make open spaces more accessible to blind and partially sighted people for her degree dissertation and working with a group of visually impaired people may have given Emily the chance to in a way have time to come to terms with her own sight loss. To her plans for the future in architecture and planning now that Emily has graduated.

There is more about Stargardt disease on the following pages of the RNIB website -https://www.rnib.org.uk/your-eyes/eye-conditions-az/stargardt-disease

You will also find out more about the Architecture and Planning degree at the University of the West of England by visiting the following pages of the UWE website - https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/KK14/architecture-and-planning

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)