DSE 2026｜Wah Yan’s Visually Impaired Student Overcomes Odds to Become DSE Top Scorer

The 2026 HKDSE results were released today (July 15), with Wah Yan College Hong Kong celebrating an extraordinary achievement: a student with a congenital eye condition and less than 10% vision has become a top scorer.

Wah Yan College's top scorer, Ayden, Photo by Bastille Post

The top scorer, Ayden, scored 5** in six subjects — Chinese, English, Mathematics, Geography, History and Economics — and met the requirements in Citizenship and Social Development. He hopes to enrol in the double degree programme in Bachelor of Social Sciences (Government and Laws) and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Hong Kong.

Ayden, who has been at Wah Yan since Form 1, admitted that his visual impairment posed significant challenges to his studies. He often had to lean in very close to read materials and spent much more time on reading than his peers. He noted that handwritten notes were not particularly effective for him; instead, he focused on deepening his understanding and internalising knowledge through repetition and reflection.

Wah Yan College's top scorer, Ayden, Photo by Bastille Post

He expressed deep gratitude to his school, the community, and his family for their unwavering care and support, which provided him with a conducive learning environment. He was especially thankful for his family’s emotional and practical encouragement, which allowed him to concentrate on his studies. Adyen also encouraged fellow students with disabilities not to see themselves as different, but to take the initiative to connect with classmates. He shared that his own experience showed how classmates could be tolerant, understanding, and proactive in offering help.

Wah Yan College's top scorer, Ayden, Photo by Bastille Post

Adyen's father was by his side on results day, describing himself as a constant companion. He praised his son as "very hardworking and independent-minded."

Ayden together with his father, Photo by Bastille Post

The school revealed that Adyen has been a participant in the Resource Support Programme of Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired since childhood. Through the programme, he gained working experience, including an internship as a barrister’s assistant. He has also won awards in writing competitions and received full funding under Access Abroad Hong Kong to take part in an academic exchange programme at the University of Cambridge.

Despite his deteriorating vision, which continues to decline, Adyen has remained enthusiastic in both academics and extracurricular activities. He currently serves as captain of the school’s chess team and has won awards in inter-school competitions.

Wah Yan College's top scorer, Ayden, Photo by Bastille Post

Looking ahead, Adyen hopes to enrol in the double degree programme in Bachelor of Social Sciences (Government and Laws) and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Hong Kong. He believes law brings equality and opportunity, and his visits to the High Court have inspired him to pursue a legal career. He has already selected relevant courses through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) and has also received offers from four universities in the United Kingdom.

Wah Yan College's top scorer, Ayden (middle) together with two other students ranking the third place, Hugo (left) and Michael (right), Photo by Bastille Post

The 2026 HKDSE results were released today (July 15). St. Paul's College celebrated one top scorer and two runners-up, alongside another remarkable success: a visually impaired student who overcame significant challenges to achieve outstanding results.

St. Paul's College, Photo by Bastille Post

James Zheng studied Mathematics Extended Module 2 (M2), Business, Accounting and Financial Studies (BAFS), and Economics, and achieved 5** in both English and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He has been admitted to the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Financial Technology programme at the University of Hong Kong through the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS).

James's visual impairment is caused by a congenital developmental condition. He has also participated in support programmes at the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired. He requires specialised computer equipment for learning and is granted extended time during examinations.

He admitted that some people questioned his ability to use a computer when he chose his subjects, but he persevered. "I feel that studying is my only way out," he said, expressing hope that entering a good university would open up more choices for him. He believes Hong Kong is generally tolerant towards visually impaired individuals, but acknowledges that prejudice still exists. He hopes that securing a place at a good university and finding a stable job will give him a "safety net."

James Zheng, Photo by Bastille Post

James attended Toi Shan Association Primary School in Tuen Mun before studying at St. Paul's College, which has a long-standing partnership with the school and consistently provides strong support for visually impaired students. Initially, his grades were average. He ranked around 80th, and he struggled with English, though he could still see partially. He worked hard and gradually caught up.

However, in Form 4, he became almost completely blind. The transition required extensive rehabilitation and learning to live independently, making it difficult to focus on his studies. His grades plummeted. He decided to repeat a year, and after adapting to his new circumstances, he slowly regained his academic footing.

To improve communication efficiency with teachers, James wrote a programme that converts Braille mathematics directly into printed mathematical symbols, significantly reducing what had been a lengthy conversion process.

In Form 4, James became almost completely blind. Photo by Bastille Post

James is deeply grateful for the school's support, particularly his mathematics teacher, who dedicated time each week to help him study and later recommended him for HKU's admission programme. The school has also provided him with various opportunities, including camping trips and overseas competitions, ensuring his visual impairment does not limit his experiences. Last year, he even represented the school at a competition in Europe.

James was satisfied and happy with his DSE results, though he felt his Chinese exam performance was not ideal, and found the M2 paper particularly challenging due to the need for electronic devices. Although he was a little nervous the night before results day, he was not overly anxious, having already secured his offer from HKU.

He is deeply interested in AI applications, believing they can assist visually impaired individuals in daily life and studies - for example, by describing images or helping with study summaries. However, he has not yet tried technologies like OpenClaw, citing potential security risks. He hopes to use his programming skills in the future to help visually impaired people and others in need.

Immediately after completing the DSE, James immersed himself in tech and AI-related activities in Hong Kong, including presenting an open-source project at the Hong Kong Open Source Conference. He also interned at City University of Hong Kong, working on AI-related projects. He intends to pursue undergraduate research in AI and hopes to broaden his horizons through the university's exchange programmes.

James Zheng, Photo by Bastille Post

He previously visited HKU and found the campus welcoming, and also has a strong interest in finance. He acknowledges that the job market changes rapidly and cannot predict his future career path with certainty.

James shared his learning philosophy: the earlier you prepare, the better. He read extensively in English during junior secondary school, building a strong language foundation. He rarely attended tutoring classes, only taking a few months of maths tuition between Form 5 and Form 6, and economics tuition a few months before the DSE. Instead, he prefers to study independently. He likes to take notes after reading, believing it enhances memory retention.

James hoped other visually impaired students would not care too much about others' opinions, even if some people hold stereotypes or try to discourage them. In his eyes, the most important thing is to pursue dreams. "As long as you are interested and feel capable, you should try — even if you fail, you won't regret it," he said.

James hoped other visually impaired students would not care too much about others' opinions, even if some people hold stereotypes or try to discourage them. Photo by Bastille Post