26 Jun 2025
Six new tour guides for the deaf community complete Tourism NI-funded course
Tourism Northern Ireland has celebrated the success of six newly trained tour guides for the deaf community.
The Tour Guiding for the Deaf course was funded by Tourism NI, delivered by North West Regional College (NWRC), in partnership with Foyle Deaf Association and Derry City & Strabane District Council (DCSDC).
The Level 2 Award in Tour Guiding Skills, which was delivered by NWRC in Derry, ran throughout May and early June.
The course is designed to ensure deaf visitors to Northern Ireland enjoy an inclusive experience and comes after the successful delivery of a similar scheme in Belfast in 2023.
The training course was established after a volunteer who had been assisting deaf visitors to Belfast during his free time approached the tourism bodies to say he needed more training to guide tours accurately.
He also believed more people who use sign language should also be trained as tour guides as there is demand from deaf visitors.
Participants who recently took part in the course in the North West region completed four training sessions followed by assessments.
A graduation ceremony for the six newly qualified tour guides took place this week at the Guildhall in Derry.
Those who graduated were mother and daughter, Patricia Clarke and Seana Taylor, both from Derry, James Gallon, from Eglinton, Siobhan McKeever, from Dungiven, Pauline Doherty, from Limavady and Terence McCullagh, from Plumbridge, Co Tyrone.
Eimear Callaghan, Head of Experience & Industry Development at Tourism NI, said: "Tourism NI is delighted once again to support this fantastic initiative with our partners.
“Tour Guides are hugely important for our overall visitor experience. They are the ambassadors and storytellers, bringing to life our Giant Spirit.
“I congratulate all our newly qualified guides on their achievements and look forward to seeing them deliver tours in the Walled City.”
Peter Wisener, Head of Faculty for Business, Media & Technology at NWRC, said: “I was delighted to see our Curriculum Manager, Luane Quigley deliver the recent Tour Guiding course for a group of learners from Foyle Deaf Association.
“This initiative exemplifies the inclusive ethos of our college and our commitment to widening access to education and industry-relevant skills. The course was a great success, with excellent feedback from both learners and lecturer.
“I’m proud of the way Luane embraced this opportunity, adapting her teaching methods to create an engaging and accessible learning environment.”
Patricia Clarke, from Foyle Deaf Association said: “The Deaf Community of the Foyle Deaf Association would like to thank everyone who was involved in the delivery of the recent Level 2 tourism course.
“It was a positive learning experience, and we hope it is the beginning of change that encourages inclusivity in the future.”
Niree McMorris, Deputy Mayor of DCSDC, said: “The success of this programme reflects our Council’s wider goals, as set out in our Strategic Growth Plan and Disability Action Plan, to create spaces and opportunities where everyone can feel welcome and take part.
“Projects like this help turn those ambitions into reality, and we’re delighted to have been part of it.”