Busways’ Learning & Development (L&D) team in South Australia (SA) recently attended Human Guide Training by Guide Dogs SA as part of its commitment to enhancing accessibility and customer service.

During the session, Busways’ driver trainers learned key practical techniques in guided travel to assist people with vision loss. The session combined theoretical knowledge with practical exercises, simulating experiences of vision loss to better equip participants with skills for effective and compassionate customer support. 

Participants took turns helping each other to navigate the streets of the Adelaide CBD while blindfolded, and Busways Adam Tsokanos, Learning & Development Officer, said this was a real revelation,

"It was an incredibly valuable experience, getting a sense of the detail you need to convey verbally when someone can’t see what they are doing,” Mr Toskanos said.

“While it reinforced that our existing accessibility module in our bus driver training is already bang on the money on top of that it gave the both of us as trainers more awareness and compassion for the real day to day experience of a vision impaired customer.

“There’s no doubt this will enhance our training in accessibility and we’ll pass on the lessons learned across Busways whole L&D team and to our drivers to improve empathy and assistance for passengers with guide dogs or other mobility aids.

Toni Castle, Business Development Specialist at Guide Dogs SA said education and awareness are key to creating a more inclusive society.

“It’s wonderful to see Busways come along to have a look at what the training entails and then look at how it may apply across their broader teams and be incorporated into future training,” Ms Castle said.

Incorporating initiatives like Human Guide Training and the Sunflower Hidden Disabilities program into Busways training reflects Busways' commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that passengers feel seen, supported, and valued.