Camelon sensory centre team train up staff at prestigious Dunblane Hydro

The one-day course took place recently at the Double Tree Dunblane Hydro and saw FVSC specialists outline how deafness impacts on people’s daily lives and the adjustments that can be made to meet their needs and make them feel more comfortable during their stay.

Staff at the Victorian Hilton hotel were given deaf awareness training and a British Sign Language workshop to enable and empower them to support and welcome customers who have sensory loss, and practiced with an interpreter.

The deaf awareness training, led by FVSC volunteer coordinator Hannah Wilson, involved helping them understand what it is like to be deaf, the differences between BSL and English, the barriers people face and what different words and terminologies mean.

Workers then had a chance to learn some basic BSL including finger spelling, the alphabet, and how to say their name.

This is the second time staff have taken part in this training and FVSC hope to continue their partnership with the hotel in the future.

FVSC supports thousands of people across Forth Valley in Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire, offering a range of services to those who are blind, partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing. The training sessions are one way they work to improve the lives and experiences of people with sight and hearing loss in the area. Jacquie Winning MBE, FVSC chief executive, said: “We are delighted to have returned to Dunblane Hydro to support them to develop their skills and training so guests with hearing loss to feel as comfortable as possible and enjoy their experience at the hotel.

“Awareness and understanding of sensory loss are some of the biggest challenges we face and training like this makes a huge difference. We look forward to continuing to work with the Dunblane Hydro in the future to make things as inclusive and accessible as possible for their guests.

"We are always looking for new partners so any businesses who would benefit from this expert training are very welcome to get in touch.”