Bus help for hard of hearing

HELPING... from left, FIDN’s James Page, Stagecoach training officer

Phil Sharp, UNITE’s Peter Stewart and FIDN’s Jack Carr

 

Bus help for hard of hearing

A KIRKCALDY man has joined forces with bus giants Stagecoach to help hard of hearing travellers enjoy more pleasant journeys. Jack Carr, of Fife Independent Disability Network Disability Network (FIDN), spearheads a scheme which will allow sensory impaired bus users to ask drivers for help, without drawing attention to their disability. Stickers are to be introduced on

Stagecoach fleets, which by pointing at them, will instruct drivers a passenger needs to lip read. Mr Carr said: “The side visible to the public shows a deaf symbol and instructs to point to it if the person needs to lip read. The side

visible to the driver has short instructions on how to communicate with that person in the appropriate manner.

“People with hearing loss often do not like to draw attention to their disability. This sign allows them to tell drivers discretely about their hearing impairment.”

The scheme will be rolled out over the next two months and Stagecoach is now training drivers on how to best cater for hard of hearing passengers.

Training officer Phil Sharp said: "We are delighted to be involved in such a worthwhile scheme and have already started training staff on the benefits a feature such as this can offer.”