PTS Reservations Call Handler shares story to mark Disability Awareness Day

Patient Transport Service (PTS) Reservations Call Handler Emma Downes is registered blind and has shared her story to mark Disability Awareness Day.

The awareness event on Sunday 16 July 2023 promotes a can-do culture focusing on what disabled people can do throughout life and work.

Emma has been with PTS for almost a year after previously working as a receptionist/housekeeper at the Oakwell Medical Education Centre at Dewsbury District Hospital.

Emma, who works from home and at Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) HQ in Wakefield, said: “I wanted to join PTS to help patients get to their appointments on time, as well as seeing how other parts of the NHS work.

“My most memorable moment so far was helping an elderly couple who both had dementia and contacting the hospital on their behalf to get the time of their appointment and finished the booking for transport. I have also enjoying talking to people who have similar eye conditions to me when booking transport and hearing how grateful they are.”

YAS has made modifications for Emma to support her in her role, including enabling her to work from home, providing a large monitor, ensuring she has regular breaks to prevent eye strain and she is currently trialling ZoomText Magnifier from the RNIB which enlarges and enhances computer screen content.

Emma added: “Everyone at YAS is very welcoming, friendly and supportive regardless of your disability. They will always make reasonable adjustments to help you. Even when my own disability deteriorated, they all supported me and told me what a great job I was doing. 

“For anyone who has disability and is looking to work in PTS or at YAS, I would say it is a great team environment to work in. They are a disability confident organisation, who will go out of their way to make any reasonable adjustments and can support people with a variety of disabilities not just sight loss.”