Nambour Aquatic Centre
Stories of Inclusion / Nambour Aquatic Centre
"As a parent of deaf children it is difficult knowing that at times their safety depends on their hearing, or on the awareness of their deafness in others around them, so Cérge really set my mind at ease when we visited Nambour Aquatic Centre last weekend!
Two of our daughters, Esther, 11, and Eva, 9, are deaf, and awhile ago decided they don’t like wearing their waterproof hearing aids and cochlear cover in the water, preferring to lip read and sign.
This means that they are less aware of what is being said while they are busy having fun in the pool or on the waterslides. So I was glad to discover the Cérge App! We used it to check in prior to arrival at the Nambour Aquatic Centre.
The friendly staff were expecting us, and it was good to know that the lifeguards were aware that they needed to keep Esther and Eva in mind when communicating about the needs of others, and pool safety.
It was also useful that the Cérge App contains information about all the ways that venues are equipped to consider the comfort of people who are disabled or have extra needs, including that the staff at the aquatic centre are trained in basic Auslan, and in communicating with deaf and hard of hearing people.
We had a great day out, and are looking forward to another visit soon! It is exciting to think of the many opportunities for future confidence and independence Esther and Eva will have using the Cérge App!"
Read More Stories
You know those times when you think you have it all under control as a mum and then your kids yell “plot twist!"
That’s exactly what happened for me on Sunday when visiting Nambour Aquatic Centre.
I was prepared, I have two ASD kids so we have used the Cérge app before and it’s fantastic. I have one child who has big emotions and doesn’t like too much stimulation and one who runs
off….. a lot.
Going out gives me anxiety. Huge anxiety. Because not only do I have to manage the “mum load” of making sure they are fed and watered and happy. I also have to account for any change, any situation and pre empt as much as I humanly can.
It’s hard. Very hard.
I showed both children the Visual Story, Photos and Sensory Guide, so we were all prepared with how everything looks and feels. I notified through the Cérge app and let the staff know when we would be arriving and that I have a child that runs and a child that may need space.
We were rocking.
Swimmers, towels, snacks and Cérge and we are set! I actually felt ahead of the game for once. We arrive at the pool and check in seamlessly, the staff are amazing, helpful, inclusive and friendly. We are excited! We head for our swim. Well, whatever could go wrong for me did.
One child ran, the other was over stimulated and the emotions were at an all time high. I want eyes on my son near a pool at all moments and I couldn’t find him. Panic mode.
Now, I’m not going to lie and say this never happens. It does. A large part of my life is trying to be the best mum I can possibly be and meet my children’s needs. But sometimes that can’t be met by one person.
We have left places feeling humiliated, shamed, unwelcome and upset and none of these feelings are any I want my children to feel.
Today was different though, the staff knew who I was and our needs through Cérge they were able to assist calmly, navigate what we needed quickly and quietly and lead with pure
professionalism. What I noticed was because the staff were exceptional and inclusive the patrons followed suit.
Never, ever, have I experienced this before. They offered a quiet room for my daughter and the facility has a latched gate at the entrance which has supervision also so I knew my son was safer. They loved the slides and my son probably went down a thousand times! Lucky they don’t charge per ride! Wow.
In the past we would leave with hysterical kids and I would cry in the car wondering if I will ever leave the house again. Not today though, today I had a team, today I was part of a village. I was a person trying to get through something hard with extra help and support. Today I didn’t feel like a loser being judged as a failure. That’s a first.
Nambour Aquatic Centre, you are amazing. Thank you.
……..And of course thank you Cérge.
Life changing! Literally
"I was excited to go to the Nambour Aquatic Centre however I'm always nervous regarding access and working equipment especially when needing to do transfers out of my wheelchair as I don't like unexpected issues.
But today I used Cérge and it was great.
On arrival staff were great and very friendly because they knew I was coming. They informed me that there was an issue with the pool which meant it would be closed for a while. I came up with alternative things to do at the pool including a play in the new splash zone using the facilities pool chair and having a cup of tea from the cafe, while waiting and the staff kept me informed on progress of reopening at all times making me feel calm in knowing what was happening at all times.
Once the pool was reopened I was able to go for a swim. I used the pool hoist to enter and exit the pool with help from my support workers. The changing facilities had a high-low bed change table which is great as I must lay down to get dressed and so this means alot.
I would love to see a hoist put into the change room as manual handling to move between my shower chair to the change table and back to my wheelchair without one is hard but everything else with the equipment was great.
Overall a good experience and even though something went wrong, staff supported me until it could be fixed and I had a wonderful time. Looking forward to regular visits and the Cerge app makes it all so much more easier and enjoyable knowing I'll be looked after"
We attended Nambour Aquatic Centre with our son Romeo with a vision to try something new with him, he is non verbal & has a severe intellectual disability. Typically, we wouldn’t risk taking Romeo into a new facility with new staff and potential for long waiting lines.
Romeo doesn’t understand a lot of receptive language. So when we go new places, we can’t explain to him where we are going and what we are doing. Usually, at a new place, we would struggle to get him out of the car because he doesn’t know where he is going. The Cérge Visual Story is amazing for this. Romeo is able to see every single step on the website. The entrance, the pools, the change rooms. No surprises suits him.
We used the Cérge App to look over the venue and also notify them that we were on our way! It was very straightforward. When we arrived, we were greeted on arrival with no line into the pool and a quick transaction. He was so keen for a swim & a play on the slide but the slide area was closed. The staff were great to set expectations on testing the water at intervals and communicating with us what they expected to happen.
Usually when we do get inside a pool he can be quickly judged for splashing ALOT in the water. Sometimes people walk up and ask him to stop but he can’t speak and his lack of reply is thought as rude. This can be really hard for him and also for us as his parents. Obviously the people don’t realise. Being able to use Cérge to let staff know in advance about Romeo means that they can also adapt and be aware of a situation like this.
Today though, after an hour in the pool they opened the slide back up. He had a blast going down the slides and playing in the splash zone. The staff were so friendly, patient and welcoming. As his mother, I appreciated them setting realistic expectations of the slide being closed and with all of the information we were able to navigate his day without him being confused or overwhelmed by changing plans without warning.
As parents we always feel judged by staff and strangers when we take him into the community because his behaviour and his vocals can be so atypical. The staff were non-judgemental and so very patient with us and him.
The entire day was a success for us and we cannot wait to bring him back! This day has opened up a whole new venue and added an outing to our list for us where we know we can limit our anxiety and enhance his experience. Honestly, wow! Thank you, you don’t understand how big this is for our family!
Big smiles!!!!