Member Article

Cinema staff commit to help Deaf customers

Deaf customers can expect a warm welcome in cinemas across the country from staff who are attending a bespoke training workshop to improve their knowledge and confidence thanks to national lottery players.

Staff representing 50 cinema venues have been attending Deaf awareness training sessions this month (March) and then sharing knowledge with their colleagues to help them deliver a more inclusive and accessible service to customers.

One-day workshops have been organised in Glasgow, Bristol, Sheffield, Brighton and Cardiff and are being delivered by award-winning workplace training and consultancy company, HearFirst in partnership with the Independent Cinema Office, with the support of venues in the BFI Film Audience network.

Staff attending the workshops will understand more about the different areas of deafness, how to improve service for Deaf people in their venues and feel more confident about approaching accessibility and welcoming Deaf people. They are also learning more information on areas such as deaf awareness, visual awareness, mental health, British Sign Language (BSL), understanding learning difficulties and disability etiquette.

The workshops have been commissioned by the British Deaf Association (BDA) after funding was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a landmark documentary called Power in Our Hands, which explores the secret history and heritage footage of the Deaf community in the UK captured in the 1930s.

The 70-minute documentary is being shown at 30 participating venues across the country and the training has been organised to support Deaf customers who may attend their venues to watch the film.

Jemma Buckley, Project Manager of the BDA, said: “We’re delighted to be working with HearFirst on this important training programme. The workshops will broaden cinema staff’s knowledge and increase their confidence in being able to offer a more diverse and inclusive service to their Deaf audiences.”

Julie Ryder, Director and Founder of HearFirst, said: “Power in Our Hands explores the recognition of British Sign Language and Deaf rights in the UK. The footage, which has never been seen before, will appeal to many Deaf people across these cities.

“The British Deaf Association recognise the importance of improving the overall customer experience for Deaf customers and approached us to deliver bespoke training for staff. We have run similar workshops in other areas of the country with very positive feedback and most attendees said they would be able to use what they have learnt back into the workplace to improve their service to customers.”

Catharine Des Forges, Director of the Independent Cinema Office, said: “We’ve been really pleased with the level of support for Power in Our Hands, both from audiences and from venues. Cinemas are an amazing communal space to share ideas and strengthen communities and it’s our goal for cinemas to be open and welcoming to all. This training is a great way to build confidence and knowledge.”

Workshops have already been held at CitizenM in Glasgow, Watershed in Bristol and at Showroom in Sheffield. Other workshops will be held at Lighthouse in Brighton on March 16 and at Chapter in Cardiff on March 21.

HearFirst provides a full range of equality and diversity training courses to organisations across the UK. For more information on deaf, disability awareness and BSL training, please contact Julie at HearFirst on 01706 872 816 or visit www.hearfirst.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HearFirst .