Cocky Guides is a leading provider of sensory adventures, supporting blind and low-vision Australians to explore and connect with communities at destinations all over Australia. When Founder James (Buck) McFarlane learned of the Dave Winner Foundation’s goal to empower one million Australians with life-saving skills through his local surf club, he thought this would be a great opportunity for his travellers to gain this skill.
Last night, three participants who were blind or low-vision took part in the Dave Winner Foundation’s free CPR course at Coledale RSL near Wollongong.
“As a patrolling lifesaver, I understand that traditional first aid training is typically rigid, and the accreditation process a barrier for many in the blind and low-vision community. I spoke to Dave about how he could make his CPR inclusive for vision-impaired participants,” said James.
Dave Winner of the foundation reckons, “The CPR component in a first aid course is very tactical and hands-on, so when Buck suggested making his foundation’s course inclusive for vision-impaired Australians, I knew I had to make some adaptions to present the course with a more descriptive script, which was easy to do and well received by all participants in the course.”
Charlie McConnell, a blind course participant, says, “Dave and his team delivered the course in a way that made me feel confident enough to take charge in a situation that requires CPR. I really like how Dave described finding the location to commence compressions on a patient and the extra time set aside to get to know a defibrillator by touch”.
Cocky Guides now has a goal of supporting more blind and low-vision participants to learn these life-saving skills by joining a free course with the Dave Winner Foundation in 2025. Subscribe to the Cocky Guides newsletter at www.cockyguides.com.au for regular updates.
