Are you Disability Aware?

On August 2, 2017 / Events, Front Page, News, Training

Accessible Wales will be holding a Disability Awareness Training course on Thursday 21^st September at the Cynon Valley Museum. The course costs £32.45 and will run from 10am – 1pm.

Delegates on the November 2016 Training Course with Principal Consultant Richard Jones

Since opening in 2010 we have built up a successful training service with our Disability Awareness Training course being our flagship course. You can find some of our testimonials by clicking here, we’ll be adding more soon.

Richard Jones, Principal Consultant

The course is facilitated by company owner and Principal Consultant Richard Jones the courses are light hearted and informative. Delegates will be pleased to know that the training they receive will be carried out in Richard’s informal, yet informative style aimed at helping them understand disability on a practical day-to-day basis.

Lynwen Francis, Practice Manager from St John’s Medical Practice says the following about the training her staff received:

“I write to thank you for the invaluable training you have provided to our staff both at the Aberdare and Cardiff sites. Our staff thoroughly enjoyed the training sessions and found the interaction both educational and fun. Many staff members are apprehensive around training as they worry they will made to feel or look foolish – this was definitely not the case with your training and everyone came back animated and enthusiastic about the subject.

I would happy to recommend your training to anyone and will be looking to do refresher courses next year.”

Even if you’ve attended similar courses before, this course is one that you should have under your belt to help you with your professional and personal development. Whether you’re a taxi driver, a politician or professor this course will benefit you!

To book a place on this course visit here , alternatively you can email us for more information. Block bookings can be catered for, we can also train your staff/volunteers/members at your venue. Get in touch for more information.

Disability Awareness Training, Thursday 21st September

Accessible Wales strengthens links with Cynon Valley Museum

On May 29, 2017 / 10 Year Anniversary, Access, Cllient News, Front Page, News

Accessible Wales strengthens links with Cynon Valley Museum

The recently opened Cynon Valley Museum

Followers of our regular blog posts will know we have a strong history of working with the Cynon Valley Museum. That bond goes back ten years, as they were one of our first clients.

Principal Consultant Richard Jones with Cynon Valley Museum Development Manager Charlotte Morgan

When Accessible Wales’ non-profit arm Accessible News opened in 2008, a disability support surgery called Empower was established in the museum. This surgery has helped local people on issues ranging from housing to benefits and employment advice.

As part of our 10-year Anniversary, Accessible Wales is looking at ways to help further local charities and voluntary organisations. The Cynon Valley Museum had recently reopened and is run by a charitable trust.

After meeting with then Chairperson Dinah Pye and Manager Charlotte Morgan, Accessible Wales offered to carry out a detailed access audit free of charge. For more information on our Access Consultancy Service please click here.

Principal Consultant Richard Jones commented:

“I’m pleased to continue to work with the museum. Organisations like this are a big part of the fabric of an accessible Wales and we want to see the museum thrive by being there for the whole community. We will help in any way we can to make that happen.”

Accessible Wales has now delivered the Access Review audit to the Museum management and Trustees, and are looking forward to working with staff and volunteers in the future.

Development Manager Charlotte Morgan receiving the Cynon Valley Museum Access Audit

Development Manager Charlotte Morgan said:

“As a new organisation taking over an existing facility, it has been invaluable to us to work with Accessible Wales, who have been able to help us identify improvements that we can make. We are grateful for their tireless work with us and look forward to doing more in the future to make sure the heritage of the Cynon Valley is accessible for everyone.”

If you run a charity or voluntary organisation and think we could be of help to you then please do not hesitate to get in touch by visiting our contact page.

For more information about the Cynon Valley Museum please visit their Facebook page here .

Training Comes Home

On November 11, 2016 / Events, Front Page, News, Training

Accessible Wales Training Venue

Yesterday, Accessible Wales was pleased to carry out our Disability Awareness Training Course back in our old home, The Cynon Valley Museum.

Hands on activity walking around the museum

Delegates on the course included staff from Rhondda Cynon Taff, Forest View Medical Centre and Rhos House Surgery. The course was our three hour course which covered topics such as:

Introduction to Disability
Customer Service Scenarios
Appropriate Language and Signage

Our training courses are awareness based and can be full or half day. They are practical, and allow delegates to explore issues that their clients/customers may encounter when accessing their services/products.

At Accessible Wales we pride ourselves in ensuring that all our delegates leave our training with a raised level of awareness to ensure that they are able to offer the best possible service to those they serve.

Richard Jones with Charlotte Morgan from the Cynon Valley Museum

Principal Consultant Richard Jones can be seen pictured above with Charlotte Morgan, Development Manager for the Cynon Valley Museum. Since opening in 2007 we have carried out a multitude of training sessions in the museum and are proud that we can rekindle our relationship. A trust has taken over the running of the Museum and Accessible Wales will be working hand in hand with them to improve the access and help them grow, helping to make the museum a hub for the community.

Richard Jones with course delgates and volunteer Lindsey Williams

For more information on the training we offer visit our Disability Awareness Training Page. We will be adding more feedback from our recent courses but for now you can read many comments on our Testimonials Page.

All our training is customisable and can be offered in full day or half day format, we run regular training courses at a central venue, or we can come to you, if you have more than five staff members we can come to you.

Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of our Anti-Bullying training course for children, for more information email info@accessiblewales.co.uk.

Disability Awareness Training, 10th November 2016

On October 8, 2016 / Events, Front Page, News, Training

Disability Awareness Training, 10th November 2016

Staff from The Caerau Lane Surgery, Ely and Old School Surgery Pontyclun on our most recent course

We have training scheduled for Thursday 10^th November 2016 in the Cynon Valley Museum. Training starts at 2pm and finishes at 5pm and is £30 per person, for more information click here .

Training with staff from Monmouthshire Town Council

We’ve trained scores of people since we began training in 2008, you can find some of our testimonials by clicking here, we’ll be adding more soon. Thee contents of the course content will contain:

An Introduction To Disability
Customer Service Scenarios
Language and Signage

Delegates from a Disability Awareness Training Course in 2015

Led by company owner and Principal Consultant these courses are light hearted and informative. The courses are informal and aim to help delegates understand disability on a practical day-to-day basis. Principal Consultant Richard Jones says:

The training courses we carry out gives our clients a good base of knowledge, delegates can – explore disability and how it impacts on their day-to-day professional and personal life. Often disability can be a difficult subject to talk about, this course is light hearted and relaxed allowing delegates to explore any concerns, queries or questions they may have about disability.

Staff from Karl’s Kabs and Town’s Taxis attending a Disability Awareness training course in 2014

Disability Awareness Training Thursday 10th November 2016

This course has thirteen places available on it, if you would like us to come to your staff we can… let us know! All our training is bespoke, if you would like to know more about our training, visit the training page… or better still give us a call on 01685 810432. You can also download our training flyer here .

Cynon Valley Museum Is Now Open

On September 8, 2016 / Events, Front Page, News

Cynon Valley Museum Is Now Open

Cynon Valley Chairperson Dinah Pye (front) with Vikki Howells AM, myself, Roy Noble, Lord Aberdare and Ann Clwyd MP

I was extremely pleased to be invited to the launch of the Cynon Valley Museum recently. The museum was one of the first clients Accessible Wales worked with and I’m proud to say that relationship will continue again.

A photo taken from our first access review of the Cynon Valley Museum in 2007

Since opening in 2007 Accessible Wales has had a strong working relationship with the Cynon Valley Museum, carrying out a number of access audits/reviews and basing many training courses in the suite upstairs. We’ve even used the museum as a base for our training/refresher Access Reviews.

As part of our non-profit organisation Accessible News I established an information surgery which operated from the museum for a number of years helping local residents with issues such as benefits queries, supporting people with employment issues and more. The museum was ideally placed to offer this service as it has the meeting room on the upstairs which offers confidentiality and a more relaxed area in the cafe for general conversation.

People studied the exhibits enthusiastically

Accessible Wales will be continuing to work with the trustees, staff and volunteers of the museum over a prolonged period of time to improve the access in and around the building as well as improving features for people with varying disabilities. The trustees are keen to make the museum the heart of the community and I know they share my view that providing access and facilities for all is the ideal way to accomplish this goal.

A Recent Photograph of the front of the museum

Congratulations to the trustees, Charlotte Morgan (Development Manager) and volunteers on their fantastic effort in getting the museum open and hosting such a fantastic event. Thanks to Clint Elwyn Thomas for some of the photographs.

Thanks for reading