Despite having been diagnosed with MS in 1980, Ros Evans worked as a part-time assistant with Argos for eleven years. For many years, it was in remission, then in 1995 it flared up again, forcing her to retire on grounds of ill health. For Ros, an outgoing person, who loves talking and meeting people, this was a devastating blow. She said, 'I felt past my sell-by date.'
Over the years, she had been going to classes to learn Welsh. She would start classes, then give up, then would go back again. One of her closest friends, Betty Reynolds, could see that this time that she was really low, and wouldn't let her give up. 'What would you really like to do next?' she said. 'Computers, ' replied Ros. 'Go for it!' replied her friend. So Ros ended up taking CLAIT at Neath Port Talbot College's Queen Street centre.
When she had finished, she asked what she could do next. At that time, carrying on would have meant studying at the main college, which she didn't want to do. But some time later, she dropped in to the Queen Street centre again, and saw that it was altered. She asked if she could study anything to do with computers. Queen Street centre's learndirect manager, Sean Yarranton, introduced her to learndirect. Eventually, after an Introduction to Computers course, she studied word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
"learndirect helped build up her confidence between CLAIT and the ECDL course which she's currently undertaking," said Sean.
"I like the people here, " says Ros. "They are so kind. My husband suggested that we buy a computer for home, but for me that would defeat the object. I've had to make the effort to get here, had to park at the end of the road. I don't want to sit in a armchair at home."
And what next? Ros has never been a stay-at-home. She has travelled on her own to Russia, China, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Turkey. She has considered writing abut her experiences. But then, she'd also like to research her family tree. 'I've got too much on, said Ros, "I'm doing more than I've ever done."
