Plumbridge man graduates as tour guide for deaf community

A PLUMBRIDGE man has graduated as a tour guide for the deaf community, after successfully completing a training course funded by Tourism NI.

Terence McCullagh is among six newly-trained guides from across the North West.

The Tour Guiding for the Deaf course was delivered by North West Regional College (NWRC), in partnership with Foyle Deaf Association and Derry City & Strabane District Council (DCSDC).

The Level 2 Award in Tour Guiding ran throughout May and early June.

The course is designed to ensure deaf visitors to Northern Ireland enjoy an inclusive experience and comes after the successful delivery of a similar scheme in Belfast in 2023.

The training course was established after a volunteer who had been assisting deaf visitors to Belfast during his free time approached the tourism bodies to say he needed more training to guide tours accurately.

He also believed more people who use sign language should also be trained as tour guides as there is demand from deaf visitors.

Participants who recently took part in the course in the North West region completed four training sessions followed by assessments.

Peter Wisener, Head of Faculty for Business, Media & Technology at NWRC, said, “This initiative exemplifies the inclusive ethos of our college and our commitment to widening access to education and industry-relevant skills. The course was a great success, with excellent feedback from both learners and lecturer.”

Patricia Clarke, from Foyle Deaf Association said, “The Deaf Community of the Foyle Deaf Association would like to thank everyone who was involved in the delivery of the recent Level 2 tourism course.

“It was a positive learning experience, and we hope it is the beginning of change that encourages inclusivity in the future.”