We have officially become a Guide Dogs Training Delivery Partner, helping us take another step towards creating a more inclusive and accessible University community.
Five colleagues from across the University are now trained to deliver Sighted Guide training and awareness sessions, giving colleagues practical skills and confidence to support people with sight loss.
The training team will be offering sessions throughout the year, the next session is scheduled for Thursday 12 November, staff and students can find out more and sign up via the dedicated Sighted Guide Training SharePoint.
The team are also able to offer sessions for individual teams or departments, if this would be of interest, please contact the EDI team via edi.team@durham.ac.uk.
The training is already having a positive impact.
Angela Johnson, EDI Business Partner, who has sight loss, said: “Having colleagues who have received Sighted Guide training has made a real difference to my experience at work as someone with sight loss. It has given colleagues the knowledge and confidence to provide appropriate support when needed, helping me navigate the campus safely and access buildings and facilities more independently.”
One of our newly trained colleagues, Amy Hedges, has already delivered her first session. She said: “Having an understanding of sight loss and the skills and confidence to offer support to someone is really a life skill, and I’m so proud to be a small part of this great work.”
As a Training Delivery Partner, we can share these skills more widely across Durham, helping more colleagues feel confident supporting people with sight loss and creating a more accessible experience for our University community.
Our Sighted Guide Training was also shortlisted in the Customer Experience Award – Large Organisation category at the Business Disability Forum Disability Smart Impact Awards, recognising its practical impact on disability inclusion.
/filters:quality(70)/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/research-/doctoral-training-centres/durham-global-challenges-centre/79624.jpg)