Warner Bros Studio in Herts partners with charity to improve accessibility
They've teamed up with Guide Dogs and have sponsored three puppies named after Harry Potter characters
Last updated 5th Jun 2024
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has teamed up with the charity Guide Dogs to significantly improve accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.
This year-long partnership is set to establish best practices for inclusivity in UK visitor attractions, encouraging the entire industry to adopt more inclusive policies.
To mark the start of this collaboration, three guide dog puppies in training have been sponsored by the Studio Tour and named after beloved Harry Potter characters: Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
These puppies—a black Labrador, a yellow Labrador, and a golden Retriever—will receive essential training and care funded by the Studio Tour, and progress updates on their development will be provided throughout the year.
These dogs, destined to assist individuals with visual impairments, undergo extensive training from an early age to prepare them for their important future roles.
Sally is among the dedicated volunteers who play a crucial role in the initial training and socialisation of guide dogs, and who is currently raising 5-months-old Ron.
She said: "The puppy raisers role is very much getting them socialised and ready to go into training once they start their formal training with Guide Dogs, where the trainers will start looking at what that particular dog is like and starting to think about what sort of person they would be need to be matched with."
"For example, a 30 year old person living in London and wanting a dog to take them to work and commute across London and sit in an office all day with them is probably very different from say an elderly person living in a small village who wants their dog to take them to coffee mornings, so the the the match part is is really, really vital."
"They get introduced very gently to all sorts of sounds, so they'll get used to in the sound of washing machines for example so they're never going to be frightened of loud noises."
With approximately 250 people in the UK beginning to lose their sight each day, the partnership aims to make a meaningful impact on accessibility.
The Studio Tour has long welcomed guide and assistance dogs since its opening in 2012 and offers audio descriptive tours upon request. However, this partnership will introduce further improvements to enhance the visitor experience for those with sight loss.
Key changes include a new designated toilet space for guide dogs has been established within the attraction grounds.
Guide Dogs will also provide tailored training for the Studio Tour’s team members which will cover best practices for assisting visitors with visual impairments, including how to navigate narrow or busy spaces, approach steps and doorways, and guide visitors safely and empathetically.
Geoff Spooner, SVP and General Manager at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London said: “We love welcoming everyone to the Studio Tour to step behind the scenes of their favourite Harry Potter moments and discover how they were brought to life through the magic of filmmaking."
"Our partnership with Guide Dogs marks our steadfast commitment to become a best practice example of accessibility for those with sight loss in UK attractions. We also hope to drive change throughout the industry that makes a real difference.”
Kerry Kernan, Head of Children, Young People and Families at Guide Dogs, added: “We are delighted to be working with the Studio Tour team and hope our partnership will improve the experience and make a difference to visitors with vision impairments."
"Through our consultation, advice and training, we hope to encourage change across the UK attractions industry to become more accessible for people with sight loss, so blind and partially sighted visitors have more confidence to visit such attractions independently in the future.”
This initiative represents a significant step towards inclusivity, with more activities and enhancements planned over the next 12 months to further support visitors with sight loss.