Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight lost, a figure that is set to increase. Lizzie Anderson meets a beauty pageant finalist who refuses to let visual impairment stand in her way

ROBYN Kinnersley is friendly and intelligent with a zest for life which is truly infectious. A talented actress and singer, her eyes shine with excitement as she talks about her hopes and dreams for the future; drama school and hopefully a career in teaching. With applications for prestigious theatre schools now sent, she has turned her attention to Miss Sunderland. Robyn, 20, is a finalist in the beauty pageant and is busy fundraising for Beauty with a Purpose, the Miss World Charity for disadvantaged children. The contest also challenges the women to create their own outfits using recycled materials and Robyn, from Sedgefield, County Durham, is brimming with inventive ideas.

On first impressions she appears a typical 20-something woman and this is by no means an unfair assessment. Yet, unlike the majority of her peers Robyn is visually impaired, with a degenerative eye condition which presents its own set of challenges.

Robyn was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa when she was eight-years-old. “It means I have a lack of peripheral vision and night blindness,” she explains. “I also struggle to see at dusk. It is a degenerative condition so it can get worse or stay the same but it can never get better. There is no cure for it yet.

“I was diagnosed as a child so it is all I have known and I have developed my own coping mechanisms.

“Wet floor signs are my nemesis. I fall over them all the time. I just can’t see them unless I look down and that isn’t the best thing to do when walking.”

Robyn has never tried to hide her condition but admits the looks she gets when using her cane can upset her sometimes.

She says: “I tend not to use it because people look at you funny. I think it’s because I see them looking at me so I look back and they are surprised as they don’t think I can see anything.

“I remember using my cane once when I was with my dad and an old lady jumped over it to get into Greggs. I couldn’t believe it.”

Robyn says the sensory support she received at Sedgefield Community College and later New College in Durham was second to none.

“I never felt excluded or left out,” she says. “There are so many little things in place to help visually impaired people which most people would never notice.

“When you go down the stairs, for example, there are raised screws at the end of the banister to let you know you have reached the bottom.”

Performing on stage and taking part in beauty pageants has also boosted her confidence.

Robyn says: “This will be my fourth beauty pageant. I just love it. It’s so exciting and it’s nice to get dressed up and have your picture taken.

“In Miss Sunderland, all the girls are really friendly and supportive. We all go to each other’s charity events and cheer each other on.”

This year the pageant, organised by Jody Breeds of 24 Carat Hair and Beauty, takes place at the Roker Hotel in Sunderland on Saturday, April 18.

The winner will go forward to compete in Miss England and could ultimately win a place in Miss World.

As well as competing in beauty pageants, Robyn has trekked through the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, abseiled from the transporter bridge and zip wired from the Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland. She was also an enthusiastic member of the Explorer Scouts and was chosen to go to a jamboree in Sweden.

Robyn, who works at Blue Corn Bakery in Stockton, said: “I want to show people that having a disability does not make you different, the only disability in life is a bad attitude.

“It can be hard because people don’t always understand but you have to remember that is their problem not yours.”

Robyn is holding a charity night at Sedgefield Parish Hall on Saturday, March 21, at 7.30pm.

It will feature a performance by Audio Cover, a disco and a raffle.

Tickets cost £7 with all proceeds to Beauty with a Purpose.

Anyone interested in attending can contact Robyn on robynk09@msn.com

For more information on sight lost visit rnib.org.uk