CONDOR Ferries is leading the way with its disability awareness training for its crew run by a groundbreaking Dorset charity.

The local charity DOTS Disability spent time on board the ferries teaching staff how to ensure disabled passengers are safe and well looked after on all crossings.

Sarah Honebon, cabin manager of Condor Ferries, said: “We carry many passengers to the Channel Islands and France each year and it is very important that all feel well cared for and are able to enjoy the facilities of the ship and their time onboard.

“Our staff onboard have greatly benefited from disability training and it’s been invaluable in considerably improving our awareness. The visits from DOTS are now an integral part of our customer service training and I would urge other companies in Dorset to follow suit.”

DOTS Disability, which is part of the umbrella charity Access Dorset, is a social enterprise run by disabled people and carers which provides services and promotes access to leisure, health, education and work.

Its team of consultants is available to visit workplaces in Dorset to assess accessibility and offer training and advice.

Disabled people and carers run the organisation, and the management and membership reflects the diversity of impairment types, and includes disabled people from varying backgrounds and age groups; carers and people recovering from drug and alcohol dependency.

Since inception in 2007, its membership has grown to over 100 and is set to increase to 300 within the coming year.

The group’s income is generated by providing disability equality services to statutory, voluntary and business sectors – this can include consultation, disability equality schemes and customer satisfaction surveys.

Odile Waddington-Jones, an occupational therapist with DOTS, said: “A moving ferry can have many potential obstacles on the ground and also narrow passageways and stairways.

“Condor Ferries already has lifts and ramps in place to assist customers with mobility problems, and this training has now given staff extra understanding of how some environments can present a danger to those with disabilities.”