The top rated long-distance operator Hull Trains has partnered with Hull and East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf to release an impactful new short film ahead of World Hearing Day (Tuesday 3rd March).
The initiative aims to highlight the importance of promoting empathy and understanding when interacting with people with all types of disabilities, including those which may not be obvious.
Three members of the Centre for the Deaf’s community, Rachel Duke, Sheila Harness and Linda Jagger were welcomed onboard the popular Hull Trains 08:36 service to London King’s Cross to experience first-hand the care and compassion promoted by the onboard team. This included liaising directly with one of Hull Trains’ most recent recruits, Onboard Host, Gordon Wright, who is learning some of the basics of British sign language.
The new short film created by the open-access operator in consultation with Hull and East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf includes British sign language and has been shared across its social media platforms to highlight the challenges that people with hearing difficulties can face when travelling.
As part of the wider initiative Sarah Regan, Residential Manager, Hull & East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf will also be visiting the Hull Trains offices to provide a Deaf Awareness training session for colleagues.
Sarah Regan, Residential Manager, commented: “We were really pleased when Hull Trains approached us with this initiative. Anything that we can do to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the D/deaf community is vital. People assume that if there are screens with subtitles that ticks a box, however, they forget that the D/deaf community often has trouble reading and also that they do really enjoy personal human interaction.
“D/deaf people don’t want to be ignored or pigeon-holed and they certainly haven’t been on this fantastic trip to London. I’m also delighted to support Hull Trains with a refresher course for the onboard team and management. They really care about their customers and it’s evident that want to support the community in any way they can.”
Paul Jackson, Head of Customer and Stakeholder Engagement at Hull Trains, said: “This isn’t just about recognising a National Awareness Day, we are committed to really making a long-term difference for all our customers that have specific needs. It’s all about empathy and understanding. The D/deaf community has traditionally faced challenges when travelling, whether that’s interacting or understanding customer announcements.
“At Hull Trains we’re aiming to change that by liaising directly with the community to increase our own understanding, further educate our team and continue our commitment to first-class customer service. I’m delighted Sarah and our special guests had a great day and we look forward to the next steps together.”
According to the most recent data available, one in three adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. This equates to around 18 million adults in the UK. Staggeringly more than half the population aged 55 or more have some form of hearing loss. By the age of 70 years old 80% of people will have hearing loss.
Significantly, more than 2.4 million adults in the UK have a high level of hearing loss that means they would struggle to hear most conversational speech. All disabilities are important, but some are naturally more visible, which can mean they are more likely to receive more understanding or acceptance. The deaf community can often feel isolated and receive frustration from those who do not understand why they can’t easily communicate. Hull Trains and Hull Deaf Centre hope to help change that.
Hull Trains is well-renowned for its customer support, having been named the highest scoring long distance operator in the latest Rail Customer Experience Survey. The operator scored an impressive 91.6% overall satisfaction rating – higher than any other long-distance operator.