Diversity awareness training

Particularly suitable for:

• visitor attractions
• local authorities
• any organisation that deals with the general public

Benefits

• Increased visitor numbers
• More diverse visitor profile
• Does not involve costly capital works
• Improved staff skill levels and commitment

The training aims to broaden visitor diversity; improve the experience for people with disabilities, their families, friends and carers; and enable on-site staff to be more confident and welcoming. Diversity awareness training is not simply access and disability training, it covers a much broader range of topics and concentrates on the visitor experience not just on the nuts and bolts of getting around.

There is no ‘average’ person

Everyone has a different range of abilities. We might group people into categories to help us understand the variety of needs but we must always remember the categories are made up of individuals.

We might think that these groups form a small minority, however in the UK 20% (1 in every 5 people) is disabled. (11.7 million individuals). These people include:

• Wheelchair users and others with mobility difficulties
• People with poor manual co-ordination or little strength
• People with sensory impairments, including impaired sight and hearing
• People with a learning disability
• People with a progressive condition such as multiple sclerosis, HIV or cancer

A further 30% (18 million) will directly benefit from improved accessibility and quality of experience in public places. These are:

• Older people
• Families with young children
• People with a temporary or health-related impairment

Also consider that when people visit public spaces, amenities and visitor attractions most do not visit alone. Therefore when considering the numbers of people whose visit may be affected by a disability or impairment, their travelling companions should also be factored in. 

A conservative estimate of the number of people affected when access is difficult for one member of the group could add an additional 10% of the population to our total.

A minority issue? We think not.

Can we achieve a great experience for everyone?

It's extremely difficult to make everywhere accessible for everyone but an awareness of diversity can open up many experiences to many more people. Our training packages explore the whole visitor experience using the concept of the access chain. We look at comfort and safety; independence and choice; and equality of experience.

For front of house staff we outline what is important to communicate to different visitors and the different ways you can help visitors enjoy their time on site. For management and others who work behind the scenes we look at policies and routines that can be changed to make sites more accessible and welcoming.

Depending on the size and nature of your organisation training usually takes one day. Groups of up to 20 participants can be accommodated at a time and training is undertaken at your site. The training often involves spending part of the day with representatives of a local access group or other disability organisation in order to share experiences and stories and to provide

Local authorities, visitor attractions, heritage and environment organisations have all benefitted from our training packages. Every organisation is different and training sessions are tailored to your requirements. For more information please email us: enquiries@sensorytrust.org.uk

Case Study: training for Eden Project

Sensory Trust has delivered a number of diversity awareness training sessions for the Eden Project. Participants have included front of house staff in ticketing, catering and guides, as well as managers, horticulture team, and policy makers. New Eden Project staff also undergo diversity awareness training as part of their induction. The diversity awareness training has helped Eden Project to be listed as number one accessible attraction in the parks and gardens category of the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain.

Case study: training for National Trust

Sensory Trust completed training with Community Learning and Volunteering Managers, rangers and wardens from the National Trust throughout Northern Ireland, England and Wales in disability and diversity awareness. The training was based around the use of the evaluation toolbox developed by Sensory Trust.

The training took place at five sites: Castle Ward, Northern Ireland; Barrington Court, Somerset; Box Hill, Surrey; Clent Hills near Birmingham and Stackpole in Wales.

Each training day comprised a full day looking at themes such as seating and shelter, on site information and so on as outlined in the Access Chain. The days were run with the help of people from organisations such as the Disabled Ramblers, hearing dogs, and RNIB.

National Trust found it a very useful exercise, particularly the contact with disabled people and the resulting understanding of issues and solutions that was gained.