Airline donates sleep masks to help teachers assist blind pupils
Thousands of business-class eye masks have been donated to Edinburgh's Royal Blind School to help train teaching staff at the facility.
The masks, donated by Dubai-based airline Emirates, allow workers to replicate the challenges faced by youngsters who are blind or visually impaired.
For example, preparing meals can be a normal part of daily life for sighted people, but it is a harder task to navigate for those living with a visual impairment.
Pam Cameron-Young, chartered teacher at the Royal Blind School, said: 'Things that we take for granted with our vision – if we're walking down a busy corridor, there's lots of noise, there's lots happening, we can immediately see what that is.
'Once you go under sleepshade, it's quite interesting to see how staff falter when they hear somebody coming near them, or something happening around them.
'Of course, they have got a visual memory to call upon, so they have got some support systems to understand what is happening around about them, but I think it really is a wake-up call.'
Emirates has sent 12,000 sleep masks to teachers throughout the UK after a staff member at the Royal Blind School contacted the airline.
Habilitation teacher Cameron Henderson said: 'In terms of the training, I think you have to have an understanding of what someone's needs might be (in order) to best assist them.
'So to be able to have time exploring the environment using your other senses is huge.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
4 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Business extends opening hours amid roadworks
Edinburgh-based St Andrews Timber & Building Supplies has extended the opening hours of its Stenhouse branch in the city to help customers cope with ongoing roadworks in the area. Earlier this month, Scottish Gas Networks (SGN) began work on upgrading pipes on Gorgie Road near its junction with Stenhouse Drive, with the utility company suggesting it could take 'approximately' 10 weeks to complete. The temporary traffic lights have resulted in lengthy tailbacks, particularly during the morning rush hour, making it difficult for customers to make it through to the builders' merchants located on Stenhouse Mill Lane. In an attempt to help ease customers' frustrations, St Andrews is opening its affected branch at the earlier time of 7am, and is providing coffee and bacon rolls for everyone who battles their way through the traffic before 11am, with no purchase necessary to qualify. Tam Whitehead, Stenhouse branch manager, said: 'When we heard about the work which was planned by SGN, we knew it was going to cause some access issues for our customers. 'That has proved to be the case since it started in early June but we're doing what we can to help the situation. By opening at 7am while the work is in progress, we're hoping it helps the customers beat the traffic and there are bacon rolls and cups of coffee for those who can make it in before 11 o'clock. Anyone popping in during that time will get vouchers from us for a breakfast roll and coffee at the Sitooterie café at Stenhouse Cross. 'We are also operating an increased delivery service with help from the fleet from other branches. Customers who would prefer to avoid the area during the works can make use of this by calling us on 0131 510 7778.' St Andrews opened its Stenhouse branch (pictured) in 2016, and last year modified it with a 'slap through' to link two previously separate warehouses, in the process significantly increasing its stock options. Ahead of the commencement of the work on 2 June, SGN said on its website: 'Our project has been planned in close consultation with local authorities and will take approximately 10 weeks to complete. 'Our work is taking place on Gorgie Road, near its junction with Stenhouse Drive. This particular location has experienced multiple gas leaks in recent years and by upgrading our pipes now, we can prevent future emergency work and disruption. 'To ensure everyone's safety, we need to install temporary traffic lights along Gorgie Road around our working area. These lights will ensure traffic flow can be maintained safely pass our site and excavations in the carriageway. They will be in operation from the w/c 9 June for eight weeks. 'For the duration of our project, Stenhouse Drive will be closed and local diversion routes will be in place for motorists. There will also be no left-hand turn onto Gorgie Road from Els House. We advise motorists to plan ahead and allow more time for journeys, especially during peak travel times.' Like this: Like Related
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Iconic tech company slashes 20 THOUSAND staff as job bloodbath spirals out of control
A faltering American tech icon is set to lay off as much as a fifth of its workers next month. Intel — once the dominant chipmaker which powered most PCs — sent an email to employees on Saturday, warning that job cuts are coming to its factories. 'These are difficult actions but essential to meet our affordability challenges and current financial position of the company,' Naga Chandrasekaran, the tech giant's vice president of manufacturing, said in the memo seen by Oregon Live. Chandrasekaran said the company is aiming to slash 15 to 20 percent of its factory workforce in July, a move that could push thousands of Americans into job searches. With Intel employing 109,000 globally, that would mean 16,350 to 21,800 layoffs. It is not clear how many work in US-based factories, and how many American jobs will go. Recently, Intel reported employing more than 20,000 staffers at its plant in Hillsboro, Oregon. The news comes a day after Microsoft said it was cutting thousands of jobs, and two days after Amazon's CEO also announced brutal workforce cuts. Both linked the cuts to AI. This marks the second round of layoffs for the legendary tech company in a year. Last December, Intel slashed 15 percent of its workforce after its stock price dropped by more than 60 percent. The two sets of layoffs are a response to rising pressure from upstart competitors, compounding financial losses, and a declining stock price. For years, Intel had been a dominant force in tech, manufacturing components for computers such as chips and microprocessors. But in recent years, its competitors have made major technological strides. Chipmakers AMD, IBM, TSMC, and NVIDIA have surged past Intel by investing heavily in processors built for artificial intelligence. AI chip deployment has been a weak spot for Intel. Investors have punished the company for its apparent flat-footedness. Intel traded above $68 a share in 2021, but it's currently trading just north of $21. The company reported an $821 million loss in the first quarter of this year. It is also receiving billions of dollars in federal support through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to bring militarily critical tech manufacturing back to the US. The tech company's stock has seen a massive drop in the past five years The company is awaiting the arrival of $6.9 billion in federal grants to support factory builds and growth in Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, and Ohio. Intel has delayed construction of its Ohio factory until 2030. Jobs jettisoned Some of America's biggest companies have announced sweeping job cuts this year. In May, Walmart — America's largest employer — announced it was cutting 1,500 jobs from its tech operations and e-commerce teams. Procter & Gamble, the owner of Tide detergent and Gillette shaving products, is also undergoing significant cuts. The company said it would eliminate 7,000 positions. Job losses have been even more pronounced in the tech sector, as firms increasingly replace human employees with hyper-intelligent machines. The AI-driven job bloodbath marks a major shift for American workers. For years, mass layoffs were concentrated in US manufacturing plants. Intel's manufacturing cuts will likely impact thousands of middle- and high-paying jobs in the US Intel employs thousands at its HQ in Oregon Now, they're impacting college-educated, high-to-middle-class earners. Microsoft — one of the leading firms investing in AI — is expected to lay off thousands of employees next month as it shifts resources toward deeper investments. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently said the quiet part out loud: the technology will uproot thousands of Americans from their jobs. 'As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done,' he wrote to his employees in a memo. 'It's hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce.' So far, the cuts haven't had a statistically significant impact on overall job numbers in the US. Last month, employers continued to add jobs.
Business News Wales
an hour ago
- Business News Wales
EV Provider Wins Green Business Award at 2025 Wales Business Awards
Cardiff-based electric vehicle (EV) provider, FleetEV, has won the Green Business Award at the 2025 Wales Business Awards. Founded in 2021, FleetEV focuses on making the switch to EVs practical and efficient through comprehensive leasing, salary sacrifice, and fleet solutions tailored to diverse client needs, across public and private sectors. As the lead supplier on the Welsh Government Commercial Delivery (WGCD) framework for electric vehicle provision, FleetEV has delivered significant impact, saving the Welsh public sector over £1.2 million in the past year alone while pledging to generate £2.5 million in social value during 2024/25. The net zero business was recognised as the leading green business that adopted innovative and effective eco-friendly practices, leading to measurable reductions in their carbon output and a positive environmental and business impact. Jarrad Morris, Founder and CEO at FleetEV, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be recognised as Wales's leading green business. The Wales Business Awards highlight the best of Welsh business, and to be counted among them is an honour. 'From the outset, our mission has been to support businesses and public sector organisations in making the transition to electric vehicles as seamless and impactful as possible. We believe sustainability should never be a compromise – it should be an advantage. This award reinforces that belief and reflects the hard work of our team, the strength of our partnerships, and the trust our clients have placed in us. 'As we look ahead, we remain committed to delivering innovative, data-driven solutions that not only reduce emissions but also create measurable value, economically, environmentally, and socially. We're proud to be a green business, through and through, and this recognition is a milestone in our journey to help drive Wales toward a net zero future.' Gus Williams, Interim CEO at Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: 'Congratulations to FleetEV on winning the Green Business Award at this year's Wales Business Awards. In a highly competitive category filled with exceptional businesses, FleetEV stood out for their ambition, drive, rapid growth and success in a competitive market, but what really impressed us was their wider approach – the desire to have a positive impact with all their stakeholders, including their community work and support of local schools and sports, in particular.'
