Hannah Taith Fawr y Dyn Bach

-*

-I'm James Lusted.

-I'm 24 and I have Diastrophic

-Displasia, a rare form of dwarfism.

-I live at home with my parents

-and brother Phil.

-Phil has the same condition as me.

-I don't allow my disability

-to hold me back.

-In fact, I hate the word disabled.

-In this series, I'll travel Wales

-to meet other disabled people...

-..to experience life

-through their eyes.

-Subtitles

-While I was surfing

-various websites...

-..I came across a girl

-from Cardigan, Hannah.

-She's the youngest girl in Wales

-who uses a guide dog.

-It will be interesting to meet

-someone with a visual impairment...

-..to see how they function...

-..how they cope around the house

-and go from place to place...

-..all sorts of things.

-I'm keen to contact the society...

-..and hopefully meet up

-with Hannah.

-I'm Hannah Stevenson,

-I'm 16 and I come from Cardigan.

-This is my guide dog, Osi.

-I've had Os for a year and a half,

-when I started Year 11.

-He's been brilliant.

-I really enjoy having him.

-I couldn't be without him.

-He likes wandering around

-on the school bus.

-He's great in school.

-Everybody knows Os!

-Find the door.

-They don't fuss around him

-when the harness is on.

-Once it's off, he lies down

-and people say hello to him.

-He likes attention.

-Perhaps I shouldn't rely

-so heavily on Os.

-In a way, we rely on each other.

-I look after him and feed him.

-But he works for me and

-makes a difference to my life.

-I help him and he helps me.

-We're a team.

-There you are, Os. On you go.

-It's a busy period for Hannah.

-She's studying for her A levels.

-I'm doing Mathematics, Physics,

-Geography and a Baccalaureate.

-The adaptations made by the school

-are a great help to her.

-My Note Taker is a Braille laptop.

-I can go on Word or surf the Net...

-..and it reads it back to me.

-Any work I'm expected to do

-is first handed to a teacher...

-..who changes it from print

-into Braille with an embosser.

-Os sleeps in the lessons.

-Once, in a Geography lesson,

-Os was growling in the corner.

-He was talking in his sleep!

-Do you want water?

-Hannah's sight has deteriorated

-since she started in school.

-When I came here,

-at eleven years of age...

-..I could see a person

-in front of me.

-I could see pictures and colours,

-and walk around school on my own.

-But by Year 9 and 10,

-my sight began to deteriorate.

-My friends helped me more.

-It was odd.

-I wasn't sure what was happening.

-I've got friends and school.

-I'm happy.

-I've got a great life

-and I'm enjoying it.

-I can adapt. Sight is something

-small compared to everything else.

-Hannah refuses to be held back.

-After a long week in school, she

-goes to work in the local chip shop.

-I work here once a week,

-on Friday nights, from 5 to 8.

-I'm familiar

-with The Cardigan Arms by now.

-I can find my way around.

-People will help, if needed.

-I'm familiar with the layout

-and know my way around.

-Os wouldn't like it here.

-It wouldn't be good for him to have

-too many chips and sausages!

-It would be rather cruel.

-I couldn't concentrate

-if he was here.

-Working is important.

-It helps me to listen

-to other people and socialize.

-I chat to different people.

-It teaches me the value of money!

-I got up early after receiving

-an interesting invitation.

-I've heard from Hannah.

-I'm packing to go to Cardigan

-to spend time with her.

-I'm looking forward to the journey.

-It'll be interesting to see how

-she interacts with her guide dog...

-..and how they cope with daily life.

-While I'm driving to West Wales...

-..Hannah meets her friend Debbie

-in the park.

-They became close after meeting

-on a guide dog training course.

-On you go, on you go.

-Here you are. Hello! Are you OK?

-I'm fine. How's things going?

-Yeah, good thanks.

-Hello Osi, good boy!

-Let the dogs off for a run?

-Let the dogs off for a run?

-

-Tarka would like that.

-They can play together for a bit.

-Ready?

-Ready?

-

-Yes. Go!

-Os!

-I've got no idea where they are.

-Hold on, one of them's here.

-Osi and Tarka are big friends.

-Hannah and Debbie believe

-it's vital for the dogs to play...

-..before going back to work.

-WHISTLE

-Os!

-Find the door.

-What's this?

-I think it's a top.

-No, it's a dress.

-It's a nice dress.

-I like to have an idea

-what I want when I'm shopping.

-I look around, sometimes I'm lucky!

-Some skirts here, Debs.

-I feel the clothes

-because I can't see them.

-I can work out whether they're

-a T-shirt, trousers, frock or shoes.

-I don't know until I touch them.

-Feel that.

-Feel that.

-

-That's like lace, but not lace.

-I don't know what that is!

-I put clothes in front of me

-to check whether they fit.

-I ask Mam if she's with me.

-When it's just Debbie and me, it's

-hard to tell the colour or pattern.

-We don't know. We try to guess

-and hope for the best!

-On an early trip to Cardiff,

-I didn't know my way around.

-Debbie nor I knew

-what shops to go to.

-We went to a bank, a goldsmith -

-we didn't want any of these!

-We found a shop we liked.

-On you go, Os.

-After arriving in Carmarthen, I met

-Hannah and Osi in the local market.

-Hello! I'm James. Nice to meet you.

-How do you manage

-in places like markets?

-I enjoying seeing

-the various stalls.

-If I don't know it, it can be odd.

-I feel everything on all the stalls.

-The stall owners can't understand

-why I'm touching everything.

-If it's food, I can smell it -

-I know not to touch it!

-They wouldn't be happy

-if I touched the food!

-These places are quite tricky

-for me.

-Everything is so high

-and they don't always see me.

-They think I'm a child.

-Do you get mistaken for a child?

-Sometimes, but they apologize.

-There are nice cakes here!

-Bara brith!

-A famous Welsh cake!

-I like cakes.

-I'm used to people staring at me

-when I'm out.

-I wanted to hear

-Hannah's experiences.

-Do you mind people stopping you

-and asking questions?

-I don't mind that.

-I don't like it when people

-try to do something for me.

-They say, "You can't do this."

-I get stubborn

-and want to do it more.

-Do you mind when people

-do anything to you?

-Sometimes, people are fine with me.

-Usually, when I'm walking down

-a street or I'm in a new place...

-..where people don't know me,

-they pat me on my head.

-It's natural for children

-to stare at someone who's different.

-I get fun out of it.

-Life is for living and having fun.

-Yes!

-In Part Two, I'll get

-to know Hannah and her family.

-How has Osi, the guide dog,

-changed their lives?

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-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I'm in Moorfields Eye Hospital

-in London...

-..for treatment for the glaucoma.

-How are you doing, Hannah?

-How are you doing, Hannah?

-

-Yeah, I think it's good.

-I first came here

-when I was a week old.

-I had surgery

-when I was 10 days old.

-We're used to it.

-We come every fortnight,

-sometimes every week.

-We might take a month off

-when we don't have to come.

-It varies.

-It varies.

-

-Yes.

-You're still using

-quite a lot of drops.

-You're managing OK with that.

-You're managing OK with that.

-

-Yes.

-Every visit to the London hospital

-is different for Hannah.

-She never knows what the doctor

-will say about her vision.

-I've been coming often

-for the past couple of years.

-It'll slow down once I'm older

-to every four or six months.

-At the moment, we're here quite

-often. We've got to know London!

-The damage to Hannah's eyes

-was caused by glaucoma.

-It usually affects people

-far older than Hannah.

-Fluid pressing on the eye nerves

-leads to impaired vision.

-They check the eye pressure,

-and how much fluid is in the eyes.

-They make sure it's OK.

-If anything has changed, they

-want to find out what caused it.

-Professor Khaw has treated Hannah

-since she was a baby.

-They have a special bond.

-He's a really nice doctor. I

-couldn't ask for a nicer doctor.

-He assess through play,

-which puts me at ease.

-She would often draw

-a picture on the train for him.

-You ran over,

-all excited to see him.

-Her eyes were wide open,

-and he could have a good look.

-It's very good - 11 and 12.

-These operations are working well.

-The London trip has been a success.

-Hannah doesn't have to return

-to London for six months.

-After shopping and

-swapping stories with Hannah...

-..I've come to Cardigan

-to meet the family.

-Hello! Are you OK?

-Very well. And you?

-Fine, thanks. Hello, Osi!

-Are you OK?

-How are you? Welcome.

-Thank you. It's a nice day.

-It's great.

-Did you have a good journey?

-Did you have a good journey?

-

-Yes, thanks.

-Tea or coffee?

-Tea, please. Thanks.

-Tea, please. Thanks.

-

-Tea or coffee, Mam?

-The tea was good

-after a long journey.

-I wanted to hear

-about Hannah's childhood.

-Mam mentioned to me...

-..that she knew before I was born

-that I had this condition.

-When did you find out

-about Hannah's condition?

-The day she was born.

-I didn't know beforehand.

-I knew once they handed her to me

-that there was a sight defect.

-I didn't know what it was.

-The doctors came that day.

-A week later, she went

-to Moorfields to see Professor Khaw.

-He diagnosed the glaucoma.

-Did you think your life would change

-due to Hannah's condition?

-It changed because there was a baby

-in the house! She was my firstborn.

-I was delighted

-to have a little baby girl.

-That was the biggest emotion,

-my love for her.

-If she was visually impaired,

-it made no difference.

-She was a darling and I loved her.

-I would do anything for her.

-Jackie hasn't treated Hannah

-differently.

-Has Hannah ever felt different?

-I don't dwell on it.

-It's part of my day to day life.

-What's normal for one person

-is different from the next person.

-It's something that's different

-about me. It's normal for me.

-What can you see?

-I can see light out of both eyes.

-I can tell if it's sunny,

-and I know if it's day or night.

-You've had Os for a while.

-How would you describe life

-without him?

-I could manage without him,

-because I'd have to.

-I wouldn't choose to do it.

-Os once injured his shoulder

-and couldn't work.

-We went out for a meal.

-I wanted to go to the toilet,

-but I couldn't go on my own.

-I had to ask Mam or a friend.

-If Os was with me, I could just go.

-He gives me independence.

-He's company, too.

-If you get one, you get the other.

-Looking after a guide dog...

-..requires following rules set

-by Guide Dog Wales.

-Osi's diet is important, and

-Hannah weighs his food carefully.

-WHISTLE

-Good boy!

-What's the difference

-between using a white stick...

-..and having Os?

-No-one spoke to me

-when I had a white stick.

-People wondered what it was.

-I bumped into people as I walked

-along, which wasn't nice for them.

-With Os, I go around people.

-People ask what he's like. It's

-not something they see every day.

-People like dogs.

-When I go somewhere on my own,

-he's an icebreaker.

-It's not just Hannah's life that's

-been affected by Osi's presence.

-How is it to have Osi in the house?

-In the beginning, it was hard.

-We weren't allowed

-to make a fuss of him.

-But within a matter of months,

-it came easier.

-Do you worry about Hannah?

-Yes, if she was rushed to hospital.

-She doesn't want people

-to worry about her.

-She tries to sort it out herself.

-Do you feel protective towards her,

-as her brother?

-I'd be angry

-if someone was unkind to her.

-She doesn't want to make a fuss.

-She wants to carry on.

-I help around the house

-like everyone else, washing up.

-If Mam's late back from work,

-I'll get the supper.

-I'll use anything

-I find in the fridge.

-I clear up.

-I've got no excuse not to clear up

-even though I try!

-I could pretend I can't see dust,

-but it doesn't work.

-Has the house been adapted for you?

-Yes, a few things.

-When I make a brew...

-..there's a device to tell me

-when the mug is full.

-It makes a noise

-and I know to stop!

-There are bump-ons on the cooker,

-so I know where to press.

-That's 80 degrees,

-100 degrees and 120 degrees.

-I wanted to know what else Hannah

-has to help her around the house.

-I can write faster on this.

-Do you get longer to sit exams?

-I get 100% extra.

-The Welsh exam was even longer.

-I started at 8.30am

-and finished at 4.30pm.

-It was supposed

-to be a two and a half hour exam.

-Feel free to write something.

-I'll try to write my name.

-J is dot, 2, 4 and 5 - all together.

-Like that.

-I don't like the word disabled.

-How do you feel about that word?

-I don't think I'm disabled.

-I'm the same as everyone else,

-only slightly different.

-Perhaps someone's got brown hair

-and someone else is blonde.

-Someone can see, and I can't.

-People have said hurtful things...

-..but it's their fault,

-they know no better.

-I'm the same as everyone else.

-It's their loss, not mine.

-And space.

-James.

-That's what your name

-looks like in Braille.

-Excellent.

-I feel rather nervous today.

-I'm meeting Hannah

-in a High Rope Adventure Park.

-Are you OK?

-It's quite high!

-I'm not very good with heights.

-I'll be brave and just do it.

-I'm never scared

-in places like this.

-Is it easier that you can't see?

-I think so.

-I can't see how high I am!

-I can!

-Looking down is the same

-as looking up for me.

-Hannah is an adventurous girl -

-but I'm not quite as happy!

-JAMES CHUCKLES

-Bye bye!

-It's really good. I enjoyed that.

-Go on James, you next!

-You'll enjoy it - I hope so, anyway!

-Oh, my gosh!

-Oh, dear!

-The course

-was quite difficult for me.

-My legs and arms are short.

-But they're something

-I deal with on a daily basis.

-Sorry.

-Sorry.

-

-No, it's OK.

-Perfect. Thank you.

-That was fun.

-Meeting Hannah and her family

-has been a very special experience.

-I agree about something Hannah

-said the other day.

-We're not disabled.

-The word doesn't describe us.

-We adapt to our surroundings

-to make things easier for us...

-..to do what everybody else does.

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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