Henshaws’ reputation for outstanding care and education has  improved the quality of life of hundreds of visually impaired children  and young people who have studied at the college over its four-decade history.

With a longstanding vision to develop students’ skills for independent living and employability, and minimise the effects of their disabilities, Henshaws College has also been at the cutting edge of technological innovation, which in recent years has transformed the lives of its disabled students, winning the college a host of awards in the process.

Vocational technology is central to all areas of the curriculum at Henshaws. Lightwriter portable typing devices; talking shopping lists and recipe cards and multi-use Wiis are among the futuristic developments that would have seemed impossibly high-tech less than a decade ago. These now enable students, many of whom have multiple and profound disabilities, to communicate with each other and the outside world more easily than ever before.

The story of Henshaws College, and its legacy of providing education for visually impaired and disabled young people, stretches back to the 19^th Century, when Henshaws Society for Blind People was established in Manchester. It was set up in 1810 at the bequest of Oldham businessman, Thomas Henshaw, who made his fortune in the hat-making industry and left £20,000 in his will to establish “an Asylum for the Indigent Blind” in Manchester. By 1930 the school had 273 pupils, 194 workshop employees, 64 residents and 19 blind instructors.

In the 1960s, though, it was felt that it would be beneficial to move the Henshaws children out of the urban sprawl of inner city Manchester to a new, more rural location. Leafy Cheshire was first choice, until the school’s governing board came up against the might of the Ministry of Defence. The school’s preferred location, next to Jodrell Bank, was felt to be too close to the observatory, raising concerns that the Henshaws computers could interfere with high-tech astronomical equipment next door.

 An alternative was suggested in Harrogate, on the wooded  outskirts of the town and a world away from the industrial  Manchester of the time. Henshaws School was purpose-built as a  secondary modern school for blind children, and officially opened  in November 1971, proud to be flying the flag as the “finest blind  school in the country”.

 In the 1980s, though, the National Curriculum was introduced which  prescribed the subjects that all schools must teach, alongside the Warnock report, recommending that more children with special needs be integrated into mainstream schools. While many school-age blind children were now being served by the mainstream education system, on leaving school visually impaired young people were still in need of a bespoke learning environment where they could focus on improving the skills they would need to live as independent a life as possible when they left education.

 This led to the decision that Henshaws School should become a  further education college, catering for young people aged between  16 and 25. Henshaws College was redeveloped – its dormitories  replaced by individual student bedrooms, the classrooms adapted  for older learners – but the Henshaws ethos of developing  independence and vocational skills remained the same.

With an emphasis on developing vocational skills, work experience is an important part of life at Henshaws, and Harrogate businesses, including mailing house Paperworks and Julie’s Café in Starbeck have played a vital role in welcoming students on work placements. John Pratt, 21, who graduated from Henshaws this July, has fond memories of his work experience at Harrogate Hospital Radio. “I had a fantastic time at college,” says John. “My favourite thing was working on hospital radio because I enjoyed playing songs for everyone.”

Down the road in Knaresborough, Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre provides vocational training to people with disabilities. Social purpose is central to their ethos, and Handmade at Henshaws, a social enterprise, is run from the centre. The onsite shop and café are staffed by art makers from the centre and students from the college with training given to enable them to serve customers, prepare food, clear tables, and pack and price goods for sale.

The college has also been at the forefront of technological advances which have played a huge part in transforming students’ lives. Henshaws was proud to win the BECTA Next Generation Award in the Independent Specialist College Category, and the Evolution Award for Innovative Practice & Leadership in ICT, as a result of its trailblazing approach to innovation. Next on the agenda is a new media and IT centre, which started to take shape this summer. The new centre will house technology enabling students to explore and gain experience in a variety of inspiring vocational areas including media, print and design. It will also include a state-of-the-art multimedia suite, film and music, and will include a radio station and recording facilities, all designed to make employment as real an option as possible for young people who face an uphill battle to succeed.

Gill Jennison, principal of Henshaws College, is proud of the considerable achievements the students attain year after year. “It’s a privilege to watch the students grow up and mature,” she says. “I’m filled with pride and admiration for them, especially when I attend the annual graduation ceremony. We give them so many challenges to overcome and they show great courage and determination. Students leave the college equipped for the next stage of their lives and we are immensely proud of them.”

She adds: “Attitudes towards our students have changed and it is a much more open society now. For instance, local shopkeepers now make our students feel very welcome. There is always further to go, but there is much more acceptance in society towards people with disabilities; even in the media there are more people with disabilities, and all of this helps.”

Henshaws is still growing today. The charity works in three regions across the north of England, with centres in Manchester, Merseyside and Newcastle as well as Harrogate and Knaresborough. The charity employs over 400 members of staff who last year helped to support hundreds of blind and visually impaired people and their families.