John Patterson introduces the important work of St Vincent’s School for the visually impaired in Liverpool.
The Holy Father calls on us to reach the marginalised. Few are as marginalised as visually impaired (VI) and blind young people.
What if we were to work together as a Church from wherever we are, lighting up pathways to opportunity and inclusion whilst simultaneously generating the changes needed? There is a space and a way for us to do just that by offering our own widow’s mite and connecting in collaborative service for and with VI young people.
Such a space exists within our school communities, while the connecting tool rests in citizenship education curricula. St Vincent’s School for children with sensory impairment in Liverpool has empowered VI pupils to lead a powerful citizenship project. “The Journey for Peace” aims to encourage collaboration on the following points:
Provision of opportunity for VI young people at St Vincent’s to share their strengths and train other VI young people internationally to discover theirs.
Sponsorship of VI young people and teachers from across the globe to attend St Vincent’s and learn from our best practice.
Collaboration with international charities (namely Rotary and Lions) to fund vision. resources to improve their visual experience.
Can we light each other’s pathways? Our young people who cannot see but nevertheless have a metaphorical vision can lead us forward. “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Prov 29:18). Their creative innovation, blessed by seeing differently, presents an inclusive and connecting space.
Our lead comes from the Lord Himself, and from what we learn from his meeting with blind Bartimaeus, who shouted out and was hushed by the disciples. Jesus invited him to speak and asked what he wanted. Jesus did not presume Bartimaeus wanted sight, but gave space, time and a voice to allow his request. In a similar way the taught curriculum offers space for a “VI voice”, bringing us together in action and service with and for VI children.
Founded in 1841 by the Daughters of Charity, St Vincent’s has its roots in the first school for the blind in the world. Creative curricula and community collaboration connect with “lived experience”, as in the “Journey for Peace” project. Shared online in the projects area of the school website (stvin.com) this project stems from the creative writing-strength of a pupil, Joseph Critchlow, who wrote a story called “Journey for Peace” which was read at a Lions UN day in New York a few years ago.
The story revolves around statues in Liverpool, sharing seven key messages of health, happiness, wisdom, peace, friendship, bravery and justice; messages easily connected with Scripture. These were later embedded into seven comics, enabling our VI pupils to lead on citizenship-education discussions using the comics as learning resources. The project invited major faith leaders and figures in Liverpool to present one of the key messages in a video expanding citizenship discussions across communities. Liverpool’s own Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald presented the key message to align with “VI Voice” by encouraging pupils to “use your voice and strengths to tell others and help them learn.”
The “Journey for Peace” project has presented the opportunity to work together, looking at similarities and not differences. We have much to learn from VI communities as we invest in their futures. We have a long way to go if we are to make a real difference for VI pupils in the world after school. We have, however, a chance to create change by providing opportunities whereby our VI young people, seeing things differently, help us work towards a fairer world.
Dr John Patterson is Principal of St Vincent’s School, Liverpool.
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