On Thursday 11 November, students at NCW had the opportunity to experience an afternoon all about accessibility. With organisations such as RNIB and Great Western Rail at the event, students were able to talk to a variety of professionals and explore a variety of different accessible products. 

Students had the opportunity to listen to a talk from the local Guide Dogs team, as well as meet two furry ambassadors Sprout and Elaine!
It was great to hear about the training program for the puppies and the application process for applying for a Guide Dog. 

Great Western Rail (GWR) used the afternoon as away to gather feedback from students on how to help improve the accessibility of platforms, stations and trains. Students were very forthcoming with their ideas and suggestions!

Moving on the technology, students were able to explore two different braille displays; Orbit and Hable. Hable were open to lots of questions, and there were many discussions about the differences in the Orbit 20, Orbit 40 and the Orbit Writer.
Hable One is a brand new braille display that many students had not seen before – it is the world’s smallest braille keyboard for every smartphone. This was great for students to explore, trial and test!

The theme of accessibility didn’t finish at the end of the school day – it continued into the houses!
Students could take a look at different products to help with independence and accessibility in the kitchen, with mobility and also gaming and leisure.

Kitchen items on display included measuring spoons with braille on, tactile rubber bands which can be used to identify different products, a silicone cover for irons and a talking microwave.

The Smart Cane is one which vibrates when there is an obstacle, and is very advanced to what students are used to – they had lots of fun testing this out!

Tactile board games, tactile board games and a tactile games controller were on display for all those who have a love for playing games. 

It was great to see so many different accessible products that can help towards a students education, independence, travel and leisure!