Stromlo Leisure Centre

"As I have hereditary nerve deafness I would normally feel a little bit anxious about going to a brand new venue. I would normally feel frustrated if there was a communication barrier, or hopeless at having to rely on my husband to communicate for me.

I have a two year old who is also Hard of Hearing and I want her to be able to learn how to communicate and see inclusion not frustration.

In past experiences, if the first person I deal with has a thick accent, I can be there for ages with us trying to work each other out. It’s time consuming, frustrating and sometimes embarrassing for us both. I had put in my “Must Know” that I needed the customer service person to not have an accent please.

When I arrived the first person who served me had an accent. I pointed to the sign and said Cérge app, and he immediately grabbed the Manager as they knew I was arriving and that was their plan.

Other times, I normally just divert to my husband and let him talk for me which is irritating and not sustainable long term as I want to be able to communicate for myself.

When we arrived at Stromlo Leisure Centre, the Manager, Bianca looked after us. She spoke clearly to me, introduced herself, showed us where to go, and went through what the different pools were.

It was such a nice feeling to feel like we were looked after and not a bother. We were able to get what we needed seamlessly. Bianca was professional and kind.

We would certainly normally visit these kinds of venues as we do take our daughter to swimming lessons and as mentioned above, if there is a communication barrier, I let my husband talk for the both of us instead.

If Cérge was more available, it would certainly make things easier for our family, especially in areas where it's normally a noisy environment.

We had a wonderful time at Stromlo and it is a great place, so many things to do! I felt quite happy leaving and would happily drive out of our way to come here again for the simple fact I felt included.

I would love for Cérge to be in some local Canberra cafes, even the local clubs (Vikings, Southern Cross Club, etc) that would make so much difference to me and my friends

Looking forward to our next visit!"