Airline donates sleep masks to help teachers assist blind pupils

Dubai-based airline Emirates has donated the masks to Edinburgh's Royal Blind School.

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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.”