An internal Pact training workshop designed to teach Pact staff the best way to interact with clients with mental health and intellectual disabilities would soon be available to the staff of Dunedin businesses, he said.
The role-playing would include all the ''awkwardness'' of everyday situations, he said.
All businesses should have annual disability training to build awareness of how to engage better with people with mental health and intellectual disabilities, Mr MacLeod said.
The workshops would help businesses improve their customer service.
Feedback from his clients revealed many businesses in Dunedin were lacking in that area, he said.
Many of the role-play scenarios were from client reports and feedback from everyday incidents, he said.
After each scenario, the audience would be encouraged to discuss what went wrong and what could be done differently.
Ideally, businesses, such as bus services, which had many staff and frequently interacted with Pact clients, would book the training, Mr MacLeod said.
The School of Education and the School of Social Services had already booked workshops and occupational therapy students Nic Hyland, of Dunedin, and Louise Lyall, of Invercargill, would be canvassing businesses for bookings.
