Free workshops to understand disabilities at Surrey Quays shopping centre
Shopping mall staff are staging a series of free sessions to find out the best way to help disabled people – and for them to help themselves.
Surrey Quays is hosting a series of workshops on Tuesday 12th November in association with local charity Time and Talents to help its shoppers and staff increase their understanding of what it’s like to live with a disability.
The activity has been planned to mark Purple Tuesday, an international call to action to create a step change improvement in awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers.
From 10am-4pm in Surrey Quays’ Time & Talent Unit, specialists will host a variety of workshops to educate visitors on how to support people living with different conditions including deafness and autism.
Workshops and talks will focus on dementia, with the centre featuring an interactive ‘Virtual Dementia Tour’ plus Alzheimer’s UK will be hosting Dementia Friends Training sessions.
Separately, there will be a workshop with Communication Access UK and a Disability Employment Adviser from Jobcentre Plus will also be providing advice on recruiting and supporting disabled people.
Ian Moore, Centre Manager at Surrey Quays, said: “The wellbeing and experience of every single visitor is of paramount importance to us all year round. Purple Tuesday is a great initiative to demonstrate the positive change that can be brought about through disability awareness, and we hope the events we have planned will help people be more aware of what they can do to help too.”
The full schedule for Tuesday 12th November is as follows (sign up not necessary):
· 10.30am – Recognising signs of a stroke workshop
· 12pm – Understanding autism workshop
· 12:30pm – Communications Access UK workshop
· 1pm – Hearing and memory loss workshop
· 2pm – Southwark Dementia Action Alliance workshop
· 2:30pm – Falls Prevention Service workshop