1325: Metropolitan Police Working Closer with The RNIB…

<div>Following on from a request from a local West London group for blind and partially sighted people to join a series of self defence classes run by the Metropolitan Police in West London the Met decided to look into how accessible their crime prevention material was for visually impaired people. After initially contacting the RNIB for help and advice around how to make their crime prevention material more accessible, the Met and the RNIB started to forge a closer partnership to help make the Met’s services more accessible to blind and partially sighted people.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>The next steps in this on-going partnership between the Met and the RNIB was the recent roll out of the RNIB visual awareness e-learning training course for Officers and staff. </div> <div><br> </div> <div>RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined at the Met’s headquarters, New Scotland Yard in Central London by Stephen Weymouth RNIB Partnership Development Manager, Chief Inspector Karl Spour and Police Constable Lisanne Rice from the Metropolitan Police Service, West Area Devision.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Toby began by asking Lisanne about that first connection with the local blind and partially sighted group came about and how things progressed to the RNIB visual awareness e-learning training. With Stephen then talking more about what is covered in the e-learning course and how the course helps businesses, organisations and service providers better meet the needs of their blind and partially sighted customers, clients and service users.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Karl and Lisanne then talked about some of the feedback they have had from Officers and staff who have been through the first round of the RNIB visual awareness e-learning training course with some really positive comments on how the course has made a real difference in so many ways including how best to communicate with blind and partially sighted people.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Karl then highlighted one piece of feedback from a Detective Sargent who has