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.

The further adventures of Cérge!Today reaffirmed just how life changing Cérge is…At this time of year we are all under extra pressure, add in a chronic illness or disability and things can build up pretty quickly. Using Cérge I can eliminate the stress of a “Big Box Store” shop and support local businesses at the same time.A huge thanks to the team from White's IGA Bli Bli for assisting me today, easing my sensory overload by turning down the lights and switching the music off. It may seem small but I assure you, even this minor adjustment helps myself and many others function so much better day to day. Thanks for the support White’s IGA

Esther (12), and Eva (10), are deaf, using hearing aids and a cochlear implant to aid their communication. They also benefit from face-to-face communication to ensure they have optimum access to sound, combined with lip reading. As they get older and more independent, we want them to be able to grow in confidence that their communication needs will be understood.Cérge is proving to be a wonderful tool to promote awareness of diverse needs. It’s also fantastic to know our daughters have access to tools like this to assist their independence.We recently went to Whites IGA at Bli Bli and of course, both girls wanted to buy a snack and they asked where they might find what they were looking for. The staff were friendly and very willing to help. Jordan, who assisted one of the girls with her purchase received our message 25 minutes before we arrived and prepared for our arrival. It was a busier time of day, and it was a nice feeling to feel looked after. We really benefited from having their detailed less busy hours on their information on the Cerge App (unfortunately we could only make it to the store at around 4 pm on this particular day though).We were in and out and had an extra set of hands to help us! Well done Whites IGA and thank you Cérge!