Scotman journalist Claire Smith interviews Jennifer Murray.

Jennifer may have been born blind, with mild cerebral palsy and weakness in her legs and arms but Jennifer Murray has never let her difficulties hold her back in life. The former Royal Blind School pupil, who comes from Glasgow, is currently studying social science at college in her home town of Glasgow - and plans next year to go to the University of the West of Scotland to study French and Spanish.

As she prepares to leave home and looks forward to going abroad as part of her studies the teenager says she has a lot to be thankful for.

Unlike some children who are blind Jennifer had a good experience of being educated in a mainstream school.

She says: “I had quite a good experience in mainstream schools and good support from the visual impairment unit. I think it is good to be with other people because you can make friends and make them aware that even if you have got a disability you are just like they are.  Even though I am blind I can do things just like everybody else. I still have friends that I keep in touch with who I first got to know at primary school.

Jennnifer started learning Braille at the age of five and began working with a number of different speaking computer programmes.   She was given extra support from scribes and readers in order to help her deal with exams and tests.   But she was keen to make the move to the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.  Today she is in no doubt of the way the school helped her realise her goals in life.

“I really wanted to go there.  I saw this documentary on television about it and I really wanted to go. When I started I wasn’t a very confident person - but it made me a lot more confident.”

Jennifer loved the social life at the school, enjoyed the freedom it gave her to socialise with other pupils and loved the excellent music provision.   “That is the one thing I really miss."

One of the highlights of her school life was doing work experience, including stints at Standard Life, at Scotland’s Commission for Children and Young People and reviewing podcasts for Young Scot. Currently living at home and studying at Cardonald College Jennifer hopes to take up her place at University next year.  “It’s lovely to be back at home and I wanted to get experience of being at college.”

She keeps in touch with many of her former school friends through Haggeye, the social activism group for young people who are blind or visually impaired.

“We have events and meetings.  We have campaigns - we are currently campaigning to make public transport better for blind and visually sighted people. We came up with the name ourselves - it comes from haggis.  Our symbol is a haggis with eyes on it.”

Jennifer is looking forward to going to university next year and hopes to travel abroad as part of her education.  “The reason I liked this course was you get the opportunity to go abroad.  I’ve never lived abroad before and if I get the right support I would like to give it a try.”

After university Jennifer plans to use her languages and her knowledge of Braille to become a teacher and to make sure that other people who are blind or visually impaired have an experience of education which is as positive as her own.

“I would definitely like to teach - whether it is children or adults.  One thing is for sure I would like to help other people in my position.  It’s important to me.”