Latest news with #NWRC
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Londonderry: Tour guides for deaf 'will encourage inclusivity'
A group of newly-qualified tour guides are hoping they can help make visiting Northern Ireland more accessible to the deaf guides have graduated this summer from the Tour Guiding for the Deaf course at Londonderry's North West Regional College (NWRC).Funded by Tourism NI, it is the first time tour guides in Northern Ireland specifically for the deaf community have been trained outside of of them, Patricia Clarke, said she hoped it was "the beginning of change that encourages inclusivity in the future". Patricia, from Derry, was able to hear when she was born, but became deaf at the age of two following an lip reads, and is a sign language said there was a definite demand for tour guides who better understand wider communication methods. "A lot of deaf people always want to go to places to learn about the history and culture," she told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show."About ten years ago we had a group of American deaf come to Derry and I was asked to do a tour of the walls – that was the first time I realised Derry badly needed tour guides," she said."For me to do the course with NWRC was amazing."Patricia said it "focused on all the things we need to do" and "the things we are not supposed to do".Overall, she said, it was about making the experience for deaf people an inclusive one. The new guides are members of the Foyle Deaf Association and are all based in the north daughter Seana Taylor is the association's project coordinator and the only hearing person among the newly-qualified said her mum often told her "there are times the deaf community feel very excluded, very left behind".The course, she said, had been "about championing the deaf to champion themselves", adding once the final certification comes through the graduates will be able to operate as fully-fledged tour is in no doubt there is a need for a deaf-specific tourism notion that the deaf community can get by by reading an information board, she said, was a misguided one. 'The opportunity is there' Estimates, she said, suggest there are around 1,700 people who use Irish Sign Language and some 5,000 British Sign Language users in Northern Ireland into account their families and friends – who, too, can often feel excluded from the tourist experience - and "the opportunity is absolutely there", she this year, the British Deaf Association will hold their annual general meeting in will give the new guides an opportunity to showcase the city to the deaf community, Seana said."That will attract a massive footfall to Derry," she added. The new guides graduated at a ceremony in the city's Guildhall last Callaghan, from Tourism NI, said guides were "hugely important for our overall visitor experience," adding they are Northern Ireland's "ambassadors and storytellers"."I congratulate all our newly qualified guides on their achievements and look forward to seeing them deliver tours in the walled city," she Peter Wisener said the course reflected the "inclusive ethos of our college and our commitment to widening access to education and industry-relevant skills".
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Fox News
US Army tests robot coyotes to prevent catastrophic bird strikes
Why settle for a regular robot when you can have a robot coyote? That's the innovative question the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is answering as it rolls out robot coyotes for airfield wildlife control. These cybernetic prairie predators are a creative solution to a very real problem. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my Airfields face a constant battle with wildlife. Birds, rabbits and even deer can wander onto runways, creating dangerous situations for aircraft and crews. Birds are the biggest threat. When sucked into engines or hitting windscreens, they can cause catastrophic damage. In fact, the threat is so serious that the U.S. Civil Air Administration once built a "chicken gun" to fire bird carcasses at planes to test their resilience. Traditional deterrents, like drones, dogs, falcons and even gas-powered cannons, have been used for years. But wildlife adapts quickly, and these methods don't always keep animals away for long. Enter the robot coyote. The ERDC, in partnership with wildlife biologists Stephen Hammond and Jacob Jung and the USDA National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), has spent five years developing these unique machines. The idea is simple. Most animals instinctively avoid coyotes, so why not use that fear to keep them away from airfields? The first prototypes, Coyote Rovers, started as Boston Dynamics Spot robots. However, these proved too slow to scare off wildlife. The team switched to four-wheeled Traxxas X-Maxx motorized cars, which can reach speeds of 20 mph. Each vehicle carries a plastic coyote dummy, blending just the right amount of realism and intimidation, all for about $3,000 each. The robot coyotes have already been tested at several military airfields, including Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fort Campbell and Naval Air Station Whiting Field. These early trials showed promise. The robot coyotes successfully deterred birds and other animals, helping to keep runways clear and safe. But the ERDC isn't stopping there. The goal is to make these robot coyotes even smarter. Future versions may include programmed routes, exclusion zones and the ability to identify specific species. Imagine a robot coyote that can recognize a flock of geese and adjust its tactics on the fly. The ERDC and USDA-NWRC are continuing to refine these robot coyotes for airfield wildlife control. New features are on the horizon, including onboard computers, artificial intelligence, cameras and sensors. The aim is to create a robust system that can operate autonomously, navigate tough terrain and adapt to changing conditions. These advances could revolutionize how airfields, and perhaps even commercial airports, manage wildlife hazards. Robot coyotes for airfield wildlife control are a creative and practical answer to a longstanding problem. By blending technology and biology, the U.S. Army is making airfields safer for everyone. As these systems become more advanced, we may see them used in airports around the world. If robot coyotes can keep wildlife off runways, what other surprising animal-inspired robots might we see patrolling our critical infrastructure in the future? Let us know by writing to us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Drugs 'ruined our lives' as calls made for support
Warning: this article refers to drugs and drug taking throughout More funding is needed to support centres in Wales helping people with addiction, sector leaders have said. One service user at Penrhyn House in Bangor, Gwynedd, which helps people battling addiction said they were now 90 days sober from cocaine thanks to its help, describing the centre as a "life-saver". Figures show the number of people in Wales who were referred to recovery services has decreased over the last two years, but the chair of a cross-party Senedd group said the figures were not a fair reflection of the struggles in communities. The Welsh government said it was investing more than £67m to improve support services and to reduce the number of future drug-related deaths. Drug rooms could save Wales addicts' lives - claim Children criminalised by drug trade, says ex-addict Town's addicts struggling to get drugs, police say But a Penrhyn House leader said a long-term investment plan was needed to keep people from relapsing. The facility has offered guidance and support to people dealing with substance and alcohol addiction over the last 10 years as well as helping individuals in the community. Arwel Wyn Griffith, 35, from the Caernarfon area, said he had been fighting a cocaine addiction for 17 years after he started taking the Class A drug as a teenager. "I suppose as a youngster I enjoyed it," he told Newyddion S4C. "Soon after, at the age of 21, I realised I had an issue with it - I couldn't stop and my friends could stop. "It was extremely bad, I didn't have any life at all and I was just locked in my room all the time. Sometimes I'd be crying on the way to pick it up but I'd still use it. "It broke my family up." Arwel is now 90 days sober and said coming to Penrhyn House had changed his life. He added: "It's been a life-saver for me, it's changed my life around in a short space of time and I can't thank the place enough." As a couple, Mark and Elen are are also on a similar journey but have now successfully been sober for more than two years. "We took amphetamine for about 12 years and it ruined our lives and had a massive impact," said Elen, 35. "I didn't sleep, I couldn't function properly and I was always ill." Mark, 47, said the addiction was "stupidly hard". "It would be all day, everyday… make some money... go get some more drugs... it was just constant". Describing their experience, they also said Penrhyn House and the North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC) network, which supports people to keep sober, had been a lifeline. Penrhyn House is operated by the NWRC, which received £94,420 from the Welsh government-funded North Wales Area Planning Board for 2025-2026. "This is my second home," said Mark, talking about the centre. "You come here and everyone is on the safe recovery path as you." Mark said without the centre he would not have been able to become sober, adding: "Literally the best thing I ever did was walk through that door." Penrhyn House has helped hundreds of people get clean and stay sober since opening. The service is 80% self-sufficient with its funding but its director of operations James Deakin said more needed to be done to fund services helping people with their recovery. He added staying sober was the "hard part" for many. Figures published on Wednesday by the Welsh government showed the number of referrals made to drug and alcohol treatment agencies in Wales had fallen overall over the last two years. There were 7,370 referrals from October to December 2022, rising to 8,124 from January to March 2023, compared to 6,658 from October to December 2024. But Peredur Owen Griffiths, chairman of the cross-party Substance Use and Addiction Group in the Senedd, said the figures did not reflect the true picture across Wales. He said while it was good the numbers were decreasing, questions needed to be asked about why, adding: "Are there less services? "Are people not being signposted to these services? "From speaking to people in the sector they are busier than ever and that to me means people are still suffering." A Welsh government spokesperson said every drug related death was "a tragedy". "We currently invest more than £67m to improve support services for those affected and reduce the number of future deaths, including more than £8.8m for support services in north Wales," they said. "Our approach to tackling drug misuse encompasses prevention, treatment, and recovery support, focusing on improving health outcomes and overall reducing harm." They added the Welsh government was working with health boards, local authorities, Public Health Wales and police to reduce the harm caused by drug and alcohol misuse. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.
