Cérge

I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger, it was my happy place. Life happened, kids happened and it felt like a lifetime ago.For the past two years I’ve battled with a disease called Small Fibre Neuropathy (SFN) which makes it extremely hard to do everyday tasks. SFN is extremely painful.I have two boys, I’m tough, I’m a positive person and I’m the last person who would think of myself as having a disability or barrier. It’s just who I am. It took about 12 months for doctors to work out why I had such excruciating pain so often. I could barely walk. Still, there are days I struggle. I hate talking about the struggle because it’s not who I am. I just want to be able to feel good for my boys.I have followed Cérge for a while after seeing a really uplifting story and although I didn’t think its was for me, because again, I don’t feel like I have a barrier. I realised that actually I could try this app to give staff a heads up on what’s going on for me. Cérge seems like it’s for everyone who just needs something a bit extra or different and I didn’t feel like it was going to make me feel like a burden.I saw on the website that Cérge was at the Nerang pool which is reasonably local to me. I was nervous even thinking about exercising when standing to cook dinner causes me pain. How would I ever exercise? But, I don’t know, something made me feel like it was worth the attempt. Maybe Cérge was my little motivator friend.I took a look at the website and got a good idea of the pool and the amount of stairs etc. u was pretty nervous about being sore after swimming, and to be honest, I am .
But, my heart is full! My energy is back and my vibe about having something for me is fuelled!I love swimming, I always have! It’s been 8 years since I even dipped a toe in. I was terrified to go back, always too busy, always too much in. Nothing like a bit of pain to motivate you hey.
I do have to say, if Cérge wasn’t there and I didn’t feel like the pool was a safe space I wouldn’t have tried and another 8 years would easily pass.“Swimming” is now booked in to my calendar every week! This is going to help me on so many levels!
 

Hey Cèrge,I would like to say a big thank you for inviting me to be apart of this app and community. Today was my first time visiting the Tewantin RSL for lunch, the staff are amazing so helpful and friendly they made me feel welcome and the food was so good I will give them a 10/10#rsl #hospitality #inclusion #customerservice Tewantin Noosa RSL Noosa Shire Council #brisbane2032 #accessibletourism

We are on a family holiday at the moment, myself, my husband and our two teenagers. We are driving from the north of New Zealand to the south.
I am a person who is Deaf and so travelling comes with its challenges. Some tourist attractions are just completely inaccessible to me. We can travel to a place and be very excited and then when we arrive we realise I can’t hear the tour guide or hear the show.
I can’t tell you the continuum of disappointment at times.
I’m a very positive human and with my disability I make the most of every encounter and communication. Sadly the frustration can build up at times.
I communicate via writing, lip reading, New Zealand Sign Language, which is an official language in NZ since 2006, however it doesn’t mean everyone knows or utilises it.
When I saw on the Cérge app that Trust House Recreation Centre has Cérge and was almost in our direction I was so incredibly excited! It’s 30 degrees here today and for us Kiwis that’s an oven. So a swim was the perfect idea!
I notified Trust House in the Cérge app that I would be arriving in 40mins, that I am a person who is Deaf and I would like the staff to communicate via writing, text, signs and gestures!
As soon as I arrived I had two staff members give me the biggest waves and smiles! They had great eye contact with me as I asked questions about the gym and sauna (way too hot for a sauna today hehe). Their enthusiasm to try and to do their best was so appreciated!
They wrote me a note, gave me a timetable and I went off into the pools to enjoy and look around! Trust House Recreation Centre is a great centre, the facilities are amazing and the staff were very friendly.
I read the note, it was about the prices and then a bit that said there was no visual effect for a fire emergency but that the lifeguards were aware of me and the staff member would sign to me if there was a fire.
This made me feel so incredibly safe, I can’t hear fire alarms or sirens and yet never has this been incorporated into a visit to any venue ever for me. I knew, they knew who I was and they would keep me safe.
Above
And
Beyond!
Being able to have inclusive customer service like this means I can visit places without needing a support person to assist with communication and that is a massive plus for me.
I just love that even on a family holiday I can use Cérge to help find inclusive venues and therefore visit them! We enjoyed going to a whole new town because of Cérge! 
Thank you Cérge and thank you Trust House Recreation Centre

I made a trip down to White’s Supa IGA on Monday, the newest partner addition to the Cérge app and wanted to share my experience.The whole team were fantastic I sent my notification with a request to please lower the music and the lights, I was lucky enough to have my peer worker with me for the day so I didn’t need as much assistance as I would if I was to go shopping alone.I checked in as we parked the car and by the time we got to the front door a manager was there to welcome us by name, how fancy!They had turned the music off completely which was lovely however due to the building being owned by Stockland they were unable to adjust the lights as it is seen as a health and safety issue. As they are now the store is well lit but certainly not anywhere near as bright and glaring as the big box stores. They are working hard to find a solution for this whilst still keeping everyone safe, so hopefully it will be an available option in the future.We also discussed what assistance is available for those of us shopping solo and I was pleased to hear that they will do everything they can to help, including having a team member shop with you if they are free.The manager gave us a tour of the store, asking questions about my dietary requirements and what I enjoyed eating then pointed out specific isles that met my needs. I know for some people this can be triggering but please know that I am sure my boundaries would have been respected if I had declined to answer.After confirming that everything was ok, she left us to shop in peace with the reassurance that if we needed anything all we had to do was ask a team member.Their product range is extensive with many unique options that you don’t see or are difficult to find in larger stores, including a wide variety of gluten free and vegan products, some of which I had never seen before and I will be going back to purchase later.I did not need my stick on Monday but the isles are wide and easily accessible for those of us using mobility aides.All in all a wonderful shopping experience and great to see local businesses joining Cérge so we can support them in return.

As a speaker at this years AITCAP conference I already have a few nerves. I’m excited though and so grateful for the opportunity.

As a person with disability arriving at a new venue can be anxiety inducing enough. I use a wheelchair so step free entrances are something I look for, wider doorways, access to the car park.

The list goes on.

So when going to a venue for the first time, it can be really difficult and time consuming to find all the information I need just to access a venue and its facilities. One major component is seating, will there be a space for my wheelchair, will there be a space near the front now that I’m a speaker in the day.

This year the AITCAP conference have upped their game amazingly, they use the Cérge Companion site which has a visual story, up to date photos of all the areas, plus a list of sounds at each part of the venue. There is also reference to the car parking, each room and where they accessible carparks are so I know how to get to the venue with ease. This site has reduced so much anxiety for me because it feels alas if I’ve already been to the venue.

I also used the Cérge app to notify the venue on my arrival. Arriving at the venue I was greeted by Chris and given everything I needed for the day in regards to where registration is and the room I’m speaking in. I felt so welcomed and it really added to my confidence for the day ahead and getting on stage! Eek!

I am so happy the AITCAP conference have gone above and beyond with access and inclusion this year. I haven’t actually experienced that through type of inclusion previously and given the type of conference it is its great to see them leading the way alongside Cérge!
Makes me excited for the Paralympics in 2032 hahahaha

Here’s to a great day ahead!

Going into Aquarena, I was a little nervous how it would be perceived me going in to look at the facilities as a support worker trying to see if it was suitable for clients to potentially use. I notified of my intent to come roughly 30 minutes out and received acknowledgement from Aquarena, notified them of my arrival and while waiting while the person who was being served was done, the manager came out to ensure the staff knew to prioritise what was needed by the person who’d sent through from the app. ? The manager walked me around the venue himself showing all of what they have to offer, including some of the best disabled change rooms I’ve seen. On noting their pool chairs wouldn’t be suitable for the client I had in mind, the manager was open to potentially purchasing a suitable pool chair in their future budget that he’s working on, and happy to put practices in place at their cafe and anywhere else necessary to account for if the client was to come in by them-self in their wheelchair or want to complete a transaction them-self where the counters are too high.  Overall, a fantastic experience and a venue I will highly recommend to those looking for a hydrotherapy venue.  This app would be great for a range of people with all sorts of disabilities, especially invisible disabilities and parents. By Frankie – Support Worker