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Hi,

Over the last 3/4 years we have used a theatre company called REACT  
http://www.react.co.uk/index.html  to deliver diversity training in a 
number of areas including dignity at work, supporting students with 
disabilities, disclosure, inclusive customer service and how to give 
positive feedback. All the sessions have been extremely well received & 
I'd thoroughly recommend them.
Other activities we've undertaken have included a disability awareness 
week that offered sessions for staff and students on understanding the 
impact of different disabilities and a series of seminars for academic 
staff along the theme of 'how reasonable can we be' where we looked to 
challenge assumptions about what students with disabilities could or 
couldn't study. (For example we had a session focusing on deaf/hearing 
impaired students who have studied music.
We also had a more general diversity awareness week which included a 
competition inviting students and staff to submit designs for postcards, 
photos, T-shirts that demonstrated, celebrated or promoted diversity. In 
addition there was a diversity quiz on the website and the DIDIT 
(delivering inclusion and diversity in teaching) awards for teaching 
staff we called where we asked them to demonstrate how they considered 
and promoted diversity in their teaching practice.
Another session that was very successful was a day we ran with 
Oxfordshire Association for the Blind & the students union that trained 
up a number of staff as sighted guiders who then used their skills in an 
event called journey through the body where other staff/students were 
blindfolded & guided through a simulation of the human body using just 
touch & sound.
On top of that there's the usual training around disability, dignity at 
work, flexible working, general EOD etc. We've found that targeting 
individual School's/Directorates has been more effective than simply 
putting on general sessions although having said that we're running some 
general diversity awareness session later this year that are being 
supported bu Unison & UCU.
Hope this is of some use.

Best wishes

Michelle



Alison Preece wrote:
>
>  
>
> In September I attended a presentation of diversity training through 
> drama with a company called Theatre and (www.theatreand.com 
> <http://www.theatreand.com/>).  It seemed a very effective way of 
> getting the message across, but we have not had chance to use them as 
> yet.  They have training already developed (see Products under their 
> sitemap on the webpage) or are willing to create individual training.
>
>  
>
> Would be interested to know if anyone else has used them and their 
> feedback,
>
>  
>
> Kind regards
>
>  
>
> Alison
>
>  
>
> Alison Preece
>
> Equalities and Diversity Coordinator
>
> University of Wales,Newport/ Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd
>
> 01633 432912
>