Cérge

“I don’t need it easy, I just need it possible" – Bethany Hamilton (Disabled Pro Surfer).  

For a while now I have been trying my best to have new experiences but sometimes due my disability which makes me a bit unsteady on my feet (stairs can be a bit tricky) and being touch sensitive to some sensations, sticking with the activities and places I know can be easier and pushing myself into the unknown can be tough. 

When I saw that Cérge was launching on Aquaduck Sunshine Coast and I couldn’t believe it. I had seen the Aquaduck before and wanted to go, but was unsure about it all. Cerge made it possible.

Cérge has a virtual tour of the Aquaduck experience so I was able to virtually walk on board, check out the seats, look how many stairs there were and prepare. 

This made my whole experience so much better. I had very little anxiety about trying something new because I could see everything and had a complete mind map of what was ahead. I knew the areas I would need support for the stairs, I could see how the seats were organised. I knew where I wanted to sit. I could see the location of the boat driver and other passengers and all of this combined made my anxiety very little. 

My Support Worker, Mel and I had a wonderful time on board. I am looking forward to using the app more often to help us communicate to the business what we need before we arrive which just saves time and make the whole experience far more inclusive. 

I’m very excited that Cérge is now available at such cool and fun places! It makes me want to try new things that I never usually would! It opens up all sort of possibilities for me that I may not have had the courage to try before.

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This Story of Inclusion made possible by the Queensland Government's Accessible Tourism Enablers Grant and the Access Accelerator Program, a partnership between Spinal Life Australia & Cérge. 

As a Paralympian who has travelled to many parts of the globe I know all about access or lack there of. I am wheelchair user and access to me is very important. I can arrive at a destination and literally not be able to get in and access it. It’s very very frustrating.I know Cérge isn’t about making sure every business is spot on with their access but what Cérge does is gives you all the information on the venue so that you can make an informed decision. This just makes sense. Kinda like being a vegan and looking at a menu before you go to a restaurant to make sure you can eat something.As a Paralympian I have spent my fair share of time in gyms and rec centres. Many, all over the place. Good, bad and ugly.Today I visited Michael Clarke and used the Cérge app to let them know I was on my way and what I required. The staff at the centre were wonderful, they were friendly, helpful, polite and could not have done more for me. I was given a grand tour of their lovely premises and I felt welcomed and very at eased. To be honest I could not rate them highly enough 10/10 for today's visit.My lovely tour guide was Jerson and he was such a lovely friendly person, he made me feel very comfortable, there was no rush and he was happy to take as much time as I needed. He was informative and so very polite and happy.Usually going to a new venue I would feel very nervous because I would have some anxiety that I may not be able to access the centre. I would have million things going around my mind and also hoping I will be treated respectfully.Today after using Cérge and looking at all the information I felt very calm and relaxed, everything about my experience there was amazing.I felt like a VIP from start to finish.Having information before I went to the any new venue and having the staff prepared and welcoming before my visit would make all the difference if Cérge was in places like cafes, restaurants, the theatre! Oh it would be so helpful to my life!Today was really great, as a person who owns a company - "Wheelie Essentials” to help wheelchair users with accessories when travelling I’m certainly not new to understanding the challenges we encounter daily but gee it’s refreshing to have such amazing and innovative technology breaking into the world! How truly exciting!

I have anxiety, fibromyalgia, issues with sensory overload ADHD 
and rheumatoid arthritis. So I have quite a few barriers to 
accessing an aquatic centre and feeling comfortable.
In my daily life for work, I support clients include mature-aged 
women with chronic pain and health conditions; and stroke 
survivors requiring minimal support.
So using Cérge to visit Watermarc Banyule yesterday was a 
tremendous experience as a user but also seeing the benefits for 
the people I work with. My own intrinsic experience in two 
varying ways yet both amazingly complimented each other and 
how this can change so many lives and enable me to support my 
people SO much more.

As I drove towards the venue there was some construction near 
the venue with some of the area out of street view. I was a bit 
anxious but having read up in the app I remembered that it was 
said the venue is on a hill and there is underground parking; with 
direct access to the venue with a lift!!
Yay no stairs!
It helped to know it would be a big building so you knew what to expect. Not 
all people with disability need lifts, or ramps. But today, for me. I did.
I did not get lost and nervous as I usually do when going to a new 
place, so it was a nice experience. It’s actually incredible how just 
being able to mind map a venue from looking at all the 
information beforehand seriously relieved so much for me. The problem- you have to literally scour multiple websites to try 
and get the information you need.
I need more than a car park, opening times and a pretty webpage.
I need to see the toilet.
The change room
I need to know the smells and noises.
The stuff that isn’t pretty on a website is usually what most people 
need but can’t find, so they stay home. Trust me.Noah told me where the change rooms were and they were clean 
and not crowded. I had seen them in the Visual Story and they 
looked the same which is always comforting.
I used the exercise equipment as stated in the app to use in the 
pool; I always thought people had brought their own! When I 
asked when are the usual quieter times, Noah understood that I 
would enjoy a time when the water slide closes in the late 
afternoon and then the rest of the facilities are still open to be 
used. Noah felt like a friend. I think me using Cérge kinda made it 
feel like we had a mate in common so we had rapport quickly.

Overall a very pleasant experience that I would do again and 
recommend using the app to clients, friends and family. I would 
actually go to places mostly that are on the app as I will feel less 
anxious and I will know before I arrive if physically I can use the 
facility or not.

I was a Chef many years ago and because of my spinal injury and some other concerns in my life at the time I had to stop. It broke my heart because it’s a true love of mine.

I started my apprenticeship at 17 as soon as I finished yr 12 and was lucky to study at the Sofitel Culinarily Academy. Starting in a local pub (Where I learnt a lot), I very quickly I got to work with some of the best chefs and in the greatest kitchens in the country. It truly sucked having to stop. 

I love Cérge and am a frequent user so when I saw that Cérge was available for the Chefs In Conversation at The Curated Plate Festival on the Sunshine Coast I jumped at the chance to attend!

I notified Altitude 9 that I would be on my way and arrive within the hour. I had my Support Worker Poppy with me and I let the venue know the things I needed them to know for the day. I use a mobility aid and so I had already checked out all the information online so I knew in advance I could access the venue.

I have a bunch of food allergies and I knew food would be tough for me. I ate beforehand as my food can honestly be incredibly hard for me. They were amazing and offered different options but I was happy to hear the chefs talk.
I felt so at home and it was amazing to be around industry leaders such as Peter Kuruvita (Alba) and also a living legend! 
Tom Hitchcock (Spirit House) which is a world class venue, Cameron Mathews ( Mapleton Public House) and Stacey Connor (Humble on Duke) who was great to talk to!

One thing I feel so happy about is that the partnership between this event and Cérge is the only reason it was possible for me. This is an event I wouldn’t consider because it would feel way too hard and overwhelming. Simply because they had Cérge I knew they cared, it meant I could do something that it of my comfort zone but that offered a way to fill my heart again by being around such incredible chefs. It was absolutely so inspiring. I spoke with Stacey from Humble on Duke and what a great person. Very interesting and passionate about the industry. 

When I arrived I was made to feel so incredibly welcome by Jarnia, her happy, welcoming vibe where nothing was too much trouble. I could feel all she wanted was for me to have a good time. 

Thank you for such a great event within a wonderful festival, but mostly, thank you for caring and considering me.

It matters.
 

Heidi greeted me with a huge wave as I arrived and I felt a sigh of relief leave my body. It was like I was running into an old friend.  She smiled and grabbed the medications I required.She faced me whilst talking which was my request so that I could lip read. She asked me to teach her some signs and I did, even though I’m a bit rusty myself hehe! Not everyone signs and not everyone lip reads either. I was so scared, I felt a bit raw and vulnerable walking in. I didn’t want a fuss or to feel like a bother like I have so many times before. It was a lot of trust to put into the Cérge app and I wasn’t sure it would truly help. I have to say though I am very surprised. I left Amcal Wilsonton feeling like my friend had just served me and honestly, truly cared. What a difference. It’s one of those things, I didn’t know how much I missed feeling “normal”, how much I craved just feeling like a regular customer who is heard and seen. Thank you Cérge, thank you Amcal Wilsonton, I’m telling all my friends! Incredible.

Story of inclusion from staff member Hamish at Splash Devonport Aquatic and Leisure Centre. We love Cérge, we were talking today amongst the staff about how incredible it really is and what it can do. When Terry Sent the notification through last week, we had time to get the hoist set up and the aquatic wheelchair for him. We also knew when he was arriving, what he needed and some information about his disability that he wanted to share. Terry is a legend. When he arrived, because we had the notification prior and I had set up stuff for him, it kind of started connection before he had even arrived. So, when he arrived I just walked over and said “Hey Terrence, I’m Hamish”. It felt so easy! Terry had a look at the pool, the gym and the Exercise physiologist as all of these services will assist him. We are excited to have Cérge at Splash because we are more than willing to help anyway we can and sometimes with visual disability we have to guess and invisible disability we can’t see, therefore can’t know how to help. Cérge saves time, instead of Terry having to wait for 10-15mins for to set up it was done. It saves him time and saved me time as it was done before he arrived and not when I had a counter full of swim lessons! We have a “Sensory hour” in the gym where we turn the screens and lights down from 1pm-2pm which is pretty awesome as not many gyms are silent! Hahah We are more than happy to cater to the needs of the whole community When I heard Terry hadn’t been for a swim for ten years and now has the chance at Splash I was chuffed. This is just awesome. 100% Thanks for visiting Terry, see you soon!