Ben is a totally blind software engineer working at the BBC in Manchester.

Outside of work he spends a considerable amount of time volunteering for charitable causes related to getting children into STEM subjects and IT recycling, but is also a keen runner and swimmer.

“My name is Sydney, I work for Look UK as a mentor project officer and a Sussex based charity called Blatchington Court Trust where I work as a life coach and assistive technology trainer. I work mostly with secondary school age students with severe vision impairments teaching them how to use computers and other devices with screen reading technology. I am passionate about this work as technology is a huge part of my life and allows me to be so much more independent than I would be without it. Also aiding my independence is my beautiful guide dog called Mac and together we’re very social, get out and about a lot. I’m also bassist in a Brighton based signed band who just released our debut album. As well as my work with sight loss charities I have various freelance projects on the side including private life coaching and freelance accessibility testing mostly around websites, another cause I feel passionate about as accessibility to all is vital. I’m a keen gym goer and runner even if not a particularly fast one and love travelling to hotter climates, and always keeping myself open for new experiences.”