Nick Leslau

Telling people that he wants a career in social work and needs to get some voluntary experience under his belt, Nick turns up at the Possil and Milton Disability Forum in north Glasgow looking to help.

Through them he meets Irene, who lost her sight very suddenly at the age of 30. Her experience affects him profoundly"

"Of all the senses to lose losing your sight must be the worst. To have had it and lost it being the ultimate worst. I can't imagine it. I'd want to top myself. If that happened to me… I don't know, I don't want to think about that, it's just too monumental."

And he is put to work mucking out the stables of a riding school which offers not only a liberating experience for many children, but also respite for their parents.

"Before I started this project I didn't think about disability. I didn't know I had prejudices until I came here and suddenly saw them. I was frightened of approaching a disabled person because I was frightened I might not be able to cope with it. So, in that sense, I steered away from it. Now I feel completely different. I feel disability is skin deep."

Through a befriending scheme Nick meets Andrew, who lost his sight eight years ago after contracting a rare illness. Unlike most of the people he has met so far, Nick gets the impressions that Andrew has not yet accepted his disability and is still very angry about it.

It's an experience that makes Nick very uncomfortable: "He's the only person who's given a negative vibe. And I'm scared of blindness anyhow."

But back at his flat, Nick has a change of heart: "I closed my eyes and I thought to myself imagine if someone said you're never going to open them again. And then I thought about Andrew, and I thought how dare I even consider if he's worthy of another visit. And I'm embarrassed. I'm so disappointed in myself. I have to go back."

As the two men build up a relationship, the experience forces Nick to confront his fears and prejudices about disability, as well as reassessing his Mayfair lifestyle.

And Nick must decide who his money can best help.

Intro | About Nick | About the programme | Interview | Music

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