Feb 12, 2020
JAM Card continues to be adopted by more and more organisations, from small local businesses to large multinationals, and from government bodies to universities. We are delighted that more organisations are preparing themselves to be able to offer 'Just A Minute' of patience to those who need it. One of our early partners on our JAM Card journey was Translink, Northern Ireland's main public transport company. Easy access to public transport is vital for all people - including those with communication barriers. Being able to move around independently is vital for work, visiting family and friends, and experiencing all Northern Ireland has to offer. Translink believes in inclusion and personal independence as we do, that is why they have rolled out extensive JAM Card training to their staff.
Damien Bannon, Belfast Area Manager at Translink, had this to say: We are acutely aware that many customers lack confidence when travelling on public transport independently and many users often with hidden mobility issues, need that extra bit of time and patience. After years of searching for possible solutions internally and with various agencies, we were delighted to be approached by the NOW Group almost a decade ago to embrace their JAM Card concept. The key to the JAM Card scheme's success is that its concept has been designed by the end users and its simplicity in design and application makes it very intuitive for both the user and our staff. The JAM Card has proven to be an extremely effective tool in breaking down these barriers to travel and encouraging some of the most vulnerable in our society to lead an independent and active lifestyle. We have been delighted to develop our partnership with the NOW Group and this innovative initiative. After our initial trial period on Belfast's Metro services the scheme has now has been rolled out across Ulsterbus and NI Railways. NOW Group has delivered peer training to our Training Academy and it is now embedded in our annual training schedule. The peer training model fitted really well with our training academy and we are exploring other e learning modules for office based staff. This has been a very straight forward process for the company to adopt and deliver. The scheme can be implemented at a modest cost, with little fuss. Not only does the simple concept help enrich the lives of end users, it makes the job of staff much easier and has been extremely well received by all.
