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| Unseen Aware: Reading's Oracle shopping centre launches scheme | |
| (3 months later) | |
| Simon Houghton said he needed to be able to lip-read in shops | Simon Houghton said he needed to be able to lip-read in shops |
| For most people, retail staff multitasking while speaking to them would not be an issue. | For most people, retail staff multitasking while speaking to them would not be an issue. |
| But for Simon Houghton, who is deaf and needs to lip-read, people turning away can be the difference between him understanding what they say or not. | But for Simon Houghton, who is deaf and needs to lip-read, people turning away can be the difference between him understanding what they say or not. |
| According to research from the Business Disability Forum, 90% of disabled people found their shopping experience was affected by a lack of accessibility, with 43% frequently abandoning their purchases as a result. | According to research from the Business Disability Forum, 90% of disabled people found their shopping experience was affected by a lack of accessibility, with 43% frequently abandoning their purchases as a result. |
| The Oracle shopping centre in Reading has launched a scheme called Unseen Aware to help staff engage with customers with hidden disabilities. | The Oracle shopping centre in Reading has launched a scheme called Unseen Aware to help staff engage with customers with hidden disabilities. |
| The initiative offers staff an hour-long training course designed to teach them the "principles" of becoming an unseen disabilities' ally and how to help - for example, by speaking more respectfully and challenging biases. | The initiative offers staff an hour-long training course designed to teach them the "principles" of becoming an unseen disabilities' ally and how to help - for example, by speaking more respectfully and challenging biases. |
| Mr Houghton, who started the initiative, said it could be difficult to spot if a person was struggling in a shopping centre. | Mr Houghton, who started the initiative, said it could be difficult to spot if a person was struggling in a shopping centre. |
| "The idea behind Unseen Aware is to educate staff so that they are a bit more understanding, empathetic, patient and kind when it comes to a customer who might need some support," he said. | "The idea behind Unseen Aware is to educate staff so that they are a bit more understanding, empathetic, patient and kind when it comes to a customer who might need some support," he said. |
| Shopping centres were not always accessible for people with disabilities, Mr Houghton said | Shopping centres were not always accessible for people with disabilities, Mr Houghton said |
| Staff who have completed the training get a badge so that people with disabilities will know they have the knowledge to help them. | Staff who have completed the training get a badge so that people with disabilities will know they have the knowledge to help them. |
| He said it was different to other schemes, such as the sunflower lanyard, because it put the onus on the businesses instead of on the disabled person. | He said it was different to other schemes, such as the sunflower lanyard, because it put the onus on the businesses instead of on the disabled person. |
| Economic benefits | Economic benefits |
| Oracle director Andy Briggs said it was not just people with disabilities who would benefit from the scheme - the staff would, too. | Oracle director Andy Briggs said it was not just people with disabilities who would benefit from the scheme - the staff would, too. |
| "I think a lot of people are uncomfortable when they don't understand a disability," he said. | "I think a lot of people are uncomfortable when they don't understand a disability," he said. |
| And research from disability charity Scope estimated the spending power of disabled people the UK to be £274bn a year - so there could be economic benefits too, according to Mr Houghton. | And research from disability charity Scope estimated the spending power of disabled people the UK to be £274bn a year - so there could be economic benefits too, according to Mr Houghton. |
| "[The initiative says] 'if you want my business, if you want me to be the best I can, have a bit more of an understanding'," he said. | "[The initiative says] 'if you want my business, if you want me to be the best I can, have a bit more of an understanding'," he said. |
| Mr Briggs said staff would benefit from the training | Mr Briggs said staff would benefit from the training |
| He said ultimately his vision for the future was that the badge would become "a mark of understanding". | He said ultimately his vision for the future was that the badge would become "a mark of understanding". |
| "I want to break down the barriers about talking about disability," he said. | "I want to break down the barriers about talking about disability," he said. |
| "I think that's the first step and Unseen Aware is going to achieve that." | "I think that's the first step and Unseen Aware is going to achieve that." |
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