01/09/2026
Meet Sam, one of our incredible 999 call handlers 👋 and his assistance dog, Arnold 🦮
Sam and his colleagues answer thousands of 999 calls every day. What callers won't know is that Sam is partially sighted. Thanks to specialist assistive technology, workplace adaptations and a supportive team, Sam is able to do his job to the same standard and efficiency as every other colleague in the room.
Sam joined EMAS in January 2026. He has Stargardt's disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration which causes the gradual loss of central vision.
"I started losing my sight when I was nine," Sam explains. "It causes a blind spot in the middle of my vision, which makes detailed tasks like reading a book a challenge. Most people associate this type of vision loss with elderly people, but it can affect much younger people too."
Before joining EMAS, Sam attended the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) in Hereford. As well as studying a range of academic subjects, he also learned how to use assistive technology to support both his studies and everyday life. Now he’s using those skills every day in his role at EMAS.
Like all new recruits, Sam completed six weeks of intensive training and assessments before he began taking live 999 calls. Sam did all of his assessments digitally, which allowed him to use ZoomText and other accessibility software. Training materials, including workbooks, were also made available in digital formats.
Sam’s been working with his managers to customise systems and processes to meet his needs. This means there is no variation between the service Sam provides to a person calling 999 – the only difference is the way he accesses the systems and information he needs.
Sam’s call-taking software is displayed with a black background and yellow cursor to improve visibility. He uses Zoomtext (screen magnification and reading software) to view clinical triage tools, dispatch software, and other materials he needs to do his job. He receives 999 calls via a digital interface on a laptop rather than using a desktop phone like his colleagues – using a laptop allows him to fully customise the display and use screen magnification.
For Sam, these adjustments ensure he can do his job safely and effectively.
"Every adaptation that's been made is about enabling me to do a good job for patients. If I get a call about a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Being one second slower than everyone else just because I have a visual impairment isn't good enough. I need to be able to work at the same pace and level as everyone else in the room. These adaptations mean I can do that.”
Sam has been taking live 999 calls since March. All EMAs regularly have their calls audited to ensure they are meeting the correct standards of patient care. Sam has passed more than one audit with a score of 100%, and he proudly wears his achievement pin badge on his uniform alongside a badge for the Royal National College for the Blind.
During a single shift in the Emergency Operations Centre, Sam and his colleagues answer thousands of 999 calls between them. The calls are wide ranging. With every call he takes, Sam needs to be clear, calm, and reassuring.
Sam explains: “We speak to people at a time when they’re usually very stressed, anxious, and upset. It could be a call from a patient themselves or from a family member or a stranger who’s trying to help. It’s our job to try to keep the caller as calm as possible so we can get the information we need. I’m really proud to be that calm voice at the end of the line.”
Away from work, Sam is supported by his assistance dog, Arnold, to live independently. Arnold accompanies Sam to work every day, ensuring he reaches his destination safely. Once they get to Sam’s desk, Arnold switches from assistance dog to regular dog – usually sleeping under Sam’s desk while Sam answers 999 calls from members of the public.
"Arnold doesn't do much work while he’s here – he just sleeps! But day to day, Arnold helps keep me safe. My condition means I can miss the smaller details in my environment. When I’m outside, I might miss a step, a parked car or a lamppost. Arnold looks out for those details and helps me move around my environment safely."
Sam is used to navigating the world with Arnold by his side. But at work, when he’s answering 999 calls and Arnold is asleep under his desk, Sam says his visual impairment quickly fades into the background.
"A member of the public calling 999 wouldn't know I have a visual impairment, and that's how it should be. Thanks to the assistive tech I use, there is no difference in the service callers get from me compared to the service they’d get from one of my fully-sighted colleagues.
"To me, being here and doing this job is an escape from my norm. When I'm out and about with a guide dog, people obviously know I'm visually impaired straight away. But here, the callers I speak to only know me as ‘Sam from the ambulance service’, and that I’m here to help.”
Read Sam's story on our website: www.emas.nhs.uk/news/latest-news/sam-call-handler
