Cérge

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.
 

Truthfully, as a parent of a child with ASD it takes planning. The mental load can often be the thing that breaks me. Thinking, planning, preventing, pre-empting and the plot twists. 
For me, it’s all about calculating his level and where he is at, watching as things add to his load and watching him relax as things become less. It’s a huge mental game at the best of times. I just want the best for my son. 

I guess usually the thought of a loud pool with the echoing of excited children and splashing would be something I wouldn’t often consider, however I know that water is great for him and he enjoys it. For us to have a success it’s all about the layering and expectations. 

Layer 1, talk to him about what we are doing today and give him a slower morning and breakfast. 

Layer 2, use Cérge as I was able to show Seth the Keilor East Aquatic Centre on the Visual Story, I showed him the car park, the entrance, the reception and the pools. 

Layer 3, prepare him to leave and explain to him I am letting the pool know we are coming. I put in the “Must Know” that it is VERY important not to bombard Seth with long conversations and questions but he does love a “hello” and smiles. 
This part is SO important for me because it’s this part that will get us to Layer 4 and a home run for the outing or it will take us all the way back to zero. 

Being able to share this information meant that I was much more confident in getting through reception with a happy child. Often staff try to do the right thing by talking to him because they don’t have the insider knowledge to say “please don’t”.

When we arrived at Keilor East, we were greeted and efficiently moved through the payment process. Everyone was pleasant. it not over the top which was perfect. Yes they were at tad busy at the counter upon arrival and yet they were lovely to deal with. 

The staff explained swimming lessons were occurring but there was an outdoor pool that was quite and not too many people so we could enjoy a swim without too much noise. Layer 5 done for me! Explained, efficient and quiet place! 
My anxiety was so much less on this outing just because I felt like I had back up, like a silent mum army behind me. 

I’m so glad we decided to attend again and used Cérge, we had a great experience and look forward to many more visits like this one! 

We ended up home, fulfilled and smiling! Home run! 

Thank you

My son lives with Autism and it’s so important for him to fill his bucket of certain sensory needs. In today’s case that bucket was the need to gently pat animals.As a mum, I like to make sure Seth has a mix of exposures, experiences and in an environment that is conducive to him feeling safe to explore and learn. Obviously with animals and excitement this can be tricky to manage and you really need the right place.Edendale Community Environment Farm is this place. Just Awesome!New places are always nerve racking, I’m not going to lie. I never, ever know how the day will go and it can be a challenge.However, I’ve used Cérge at a pool and I trust that if Cérge is there the staff care. It just makes me feel so much more at ease.When we arrived at Edendale they were so engaging and happy to see us, they were great with Seth too. No crappy small talk trying to get him to like them, just lets go see the animal later and have some fun.We saw chickens, roosters, ducks, goats, alpacas, llamas and so many more! It was truly so very cool! Some were super excited to meet us and very keen on some yummy treats.Seth had a full bucket of animal love and I had a full bucket of mum love!So much better than a day of mum guilt.Today was a good day!

I’m a local Disability Support Worker. I heard about Cérge and 
wanted to see how it would work for some participants within our 
organisation. I was really keen to see if having a business know 
what the person may need before we arrive would streamline the 
process and remove any awkwardness and waiting.
I was excited to see the different venues available from cafes to 
tourist type of venues to local supermarkets. I was keen to pick an 
“everyday” type of business as I know this would help a lot of 
people if they could be independant to shop alone or with 
support but driving the experience themselves. That would be 
very impactful for them.
When I arrived Donna showed me where the toilet was located. A 
nice added extra to customer service because we all know as a 
parent someone is going to need the toilet as soon as we arrive 
somewhere.
Kate greeted me out front and showed me through the store. A 
fabulous store and so many yummy items!
I listed that I needed bread and milk. I was shown to these 
locations whilst also being shown other areas and staff who 
service those areas. It was a wonderful tour and I didn’t expect 
such amazing service. Obviously I wouldn’t need this all the time 
but for my first time and planning for possibly taking participants I 
was very happy.
I noticed how clean and spacious the store was which would be 
fabulous for my clients who have walking aids. Not to mention if 
they are immunosuppressedI was told by Kate that if I had a participant who had sensory 
issues, to put it into the app and the music and lights can be 
turned down.
What!!!
That is incredible and truly felt so inclusive! Nothing was too much 
trouble. It felt like everyone was welcome, which doesn’t always 
happen.
If I had participant in a wheelchair, i can mention in the Cérge app 
they said they can make sure aisles would not be obstructed. I’m 
so blown away :) this two way communication is world first and so 
unbelievable.
The staff at Forest Glen IGA were very helpful and informative. 
This is just fabulous for when I am pre planning a visit to anywhere 
that uses Cerge with a participant to be able to make sure their 
needs are met.

My daughter is ASD and can be so over stimulated in 
environments like this.
Oh wow, they could help us.
I would be able to share the Visual Story to prepare her and then 
use the app to let staff know how we were travelling.

Funny how as parents we just trudge along doing everything and 
sometimes don’t ever consider how life could be a bit easier.
If I could shop with my daughter with some back up angels that 
changes my life!
Wow.
YES!

My Mr 11 Autistic and ADHD and runs off a lot. It is extremely 
scary because I never know when or where he is going to go. He 
will see something he wants to go and just run.
It’s terrifying.
One thing I try to do is show him places before we arrive to set his 
expectations, we can map out where to go and what is there and I 
can explain he will get to see everything he wants to see.
The problem is, not much information is provided online that I 
need. 
I don’t even want to tell you about the level of disappointment if 
that information is outdated and when we arrive things are 
different.
It puts 1000 spanners in the works.
I’m tired.
This is why when we saw Maleny Botanical Garden and Bird World 
on the Cérge website we were so excited. Cooper is bird mad! He LOVES them.
I knew at this level of excitement we would have to really layer the 
experience so I could prepare him.
Cérge has everything.
I showed him the Visual Story so we could walk through the 
photos of the entrance (some birds around), the pathways, to the 
bird world and inside and around the gardens and exhibits. It’s a 
big space and a bit daunting when I have a runner. Yet this 
information was our toolkit for survival and a fun day!
The Virtual Tour on the Cérge app had us able to see the whole 
place so that really helped prepare also. Cooper was SO excited!
We paid our entry and grabbed our maps and met the first birds! 
The pathways and exhibits are great! Some parts are steep so if 
you use a wheelchair you would want to check Cérge tools online 
to make sure it’s accessible for you. There are golf buggies to use 
and that’s a lot of fun!
The views are incredible! Wow! Heavens!
I was worried Cooper would be having TOO MUCH fun! Haha what 
a problem to have hey, but in all honesty I was worried he 
wouldn’t want to leave but he listened to instructions and it was a 
truly excellent day.
The staff are friendly and informative they checked who wanted 
birds on them and who didn’t which was great! The staff 
communicated fantastically and used multiple methods. They 
spoke clear and concise and used their hand movements also. This 
was really effective for us.
The whole vibe is just excellent!
Cooper got to interact with all types of birds, galahs, macaws, 
pigeons, cockatoos and more. He was in his element that’s for 
sure! I loved seeing my boy having so much fun, in his zone, brave 
and engaged! What a truly incredible experience for him!
We will be back!

I wear two hats as I am the dad of a son (28 years old) who is quadriplegic, with Cerebral Palsy and I’ve been his carer for most of his life until NDIS came along. My son Christoper is an incredible human and is volunteering as the Qld Air Museum Video Production Manager. He uses a head switch and eye-tracking to control his devices and edit videos, operate cameras and fly drones. He is also my very own personal tech support! Haha
Being his dad and carer has taught me a lot over the years. My second hat is that of being the President of the Queensland Air Museum. I am one of over 140 active volunteers. 

You see our volunteers want to be able to provide a welcome and good service to anyone and everyone who visits us. We want to be as accessible and inclusive as possible and we want everyone to enjoy our amazing venue and we hope that shines through when you visit. 
We want people to feel as though we are interested in treating them as a person and not as a disability. Everyone comes to enjoy history and planes and that’s a passion we can all share together.

The Cérge website is brilliant and it’s started us on such a good path. We now have a button front and centre on our website - a wheelchair icon as it’s the universal symbol for disability, even though we know not all disability means a wheelchair. We have a lot of information now to share with every customer before they even arrive so they can check us out before they travel to visit us: Access guides, Visual Story, Virtual Tour, Keyword Sign Board, Audio Guide 

It is so brilliant that people can see it so easily and from the safety of their home where they can plan their outings. They can even use the measuring tool in the virtual tour to measure heights. It’s very cool!

Cérge has been the talk of the town here and has started us with a bunch of new projects and plans. We now have one of our volunteers who has taken on the role of developing an Access and Inclusion plan. 
Obviously infrastructure is always one to improve on. I’m working on a way to assist people with mobility challenges to access cockpit of an aircraft.

Alongside this we are also currently launching a major infrastructure development that is very exciting, it will take time but we have lots of things on the go to deliver the best access and inclusion possible. 
We are very excited to have Cérge showcasing our air museum which we just love. Opening up and seeing all of the photos and the virtual tour just speaks volumes to our visitors and visitors to be! Not to mention the whole community who sees our business caring about each person as best we can. 

My role as president is to influence the culture of our organisation as well as the infrastructure and we are always trying to improve!
See you soon for a tour of all the amazing planes and many displays!