Local charity boosts accessibility at chat cafes

Local charity Open Door Warminster has introduced new equipment to improve the experience of visitors who need extra support with hearing at their chat cafes.

Volunteers recently tested the new kit, which includes a lightweight headset and small amplifier designed to reduce background noise while enhancing the voices of those speaking.

Volunteer Mike Hughesman tried the equipment over his own hearing aids and said he was “delighted at the clarity of the sound.” He reported that even visitors without any need for regular auditory support were surprised at the difference the kit made.

Debs Gogarty, another volunteer, said, “Sometimes the acoustics of a place just make it hard to concentrate on one person’s voice, and these amplifiers help you focus more easily.”

The kits, plus two additional personal hearing loops for hearing aid users, will be available at all Open Door chat cafes.

The cafes provide friendly, supportive spaces for residents, including general social meet-ups, cancer support, prostate support, and grief support, all held at the Athenæum Centre.

Open Door Warminster is also taking steps to improve accessibility further. Following discussions with the Rehabilitation Officer for Hard of Hearing and Deaf People (ROHI) from Wiltshire Council, several volunteers, together with a group from the United Church Warminster, are beginning a basic British Sign Language (BSL) course with a local tutor.

If successful, the programme may be widened to include more volunteers in the community.

Below: Open Door volunteers