Video shines light on disabled customers' needs

Elinor Niha, left, and Rhonda Courtney will facilitate workshops using the video. Photo/John Stone

A video called No Problem, You're Welcome has been screened in the first workshop if its kind encouraging people to be more aware of disabled customers' needs.

On Tuesday administration, medical and support workers from Te Hau Awhiowhio o Otangarei Trust in Whangarei were led through the groundbreaking training tool produced by Northland disabled people's advocacy group, Tiaho Trust.

Sitting in while chief executive Jonny Wilkinson fronted the workshop were other Tiaho facilitators who will lead future Northland workshops based on the video.

No Problem You're Welcome features local abled and disabled identities in several scenarios, dealing with disabled customers, clients or in public settings.

The main presenters are local man Wally Noble, who will also front workshops and seminars for service providers and businesses, and professional actor Jacqueline Geurts.

Tiaho Trust `No Problem, You're Welcome' training video about how to serve disabled customers From left, Kim Silvey, Jonny Wilkinson and Wally Noble.

Among main points Tuesday's audience took from the video workshop were to be aware of people's different needs, to interact with them the same as they would other clients, but ask - don't assume - what their individual needs were.

Nurse Margarita Bartlett said she remembered, as an example, during her training in 1980 being told to talk to the person in the wheelchair, not the person with him or her.

"I guess after 37 years' nursing, it's sad to see these things still need to be addressed."

The video would be a useful reminder for people in a range of sectors to be more thoughtful of different abilities, needs and circumstances, Ms Bartlett said.

No Problem, You're Welcome was funded by Foundation North and filmed by Channel North.

It was premiered to coincide with International Day of People with Disabilities in December, along with another video production, Sign High, a 15-episode TV series Tiaho developed with funding through the NZ Sign Language Board.