A COLLEGE in Worcester has installed a state-of-the-art pedestrian crossing on its campus, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.
The Noel Duffy Pedestrian Crossing provides a safe, realistic environment where blind and vision impaired students can develop the skills and confidence needed to navigate crossings independently.
Located within the grounds of New College Worcester, the facility allows students to practise in a controlled setting before applying these skills in real-world situations.
The crossing has been named in honour of the late Noel Duffy, a governor of the College and owner of Dolphin Computer Access, whose work helped transform access to assistive technology for blind and partially sighted people around the world.
The crossing will be officially opened at a ceremony on the NCW campus tomorrow. The event marks the culmination of a collaborative project made possible through the expertise, generosity and commitment of multiple partner organisations.
The crossing will be opened by Darren Harris, a former NCW student and dual Paralympian in football and judo.
Darren is England’s most capped and decorated blind footballer, with 157 international appearances and ten World and European medals.
He is now a bestselling author, motivational speaker and mental skills coach, and his involvement reflects the opportunities available to NCW students.
Rachel Perks, Principal of NCW, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the crossing and incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the project.
“It will have a huge impact on our students and provide a unique training facility that we believe is the only one of its kind in the UK.
“It also allows other organisations and individuals to benefit from the facility by visiting our campus to practise their skills.”
Emma Moody, Head of Habilitation at NCW, added: “Currently, students can only practise using controlled crossings in real-life situations, which can be stressful and overwhelming.
“This new crossing allows them to learn and reinforce vital independence skills in a safe and calm environment, helping to build confidence before they encounter these situations outside of school.”
