Michael Clarke Recreation Centre
Stories of Inclusion / Michael Clarke Recreation Centre
As a Paralympian who has travelled to many parts of the globe I know all about access or lack there of. I am wheelchair user and access to me is very important. I can arrive at a destination and literally not be able to get in and access it. It’s very very frustrating.
I know Cérge isn’t about making sure every business is spot on with their access but what Cérge does is gives you all the information on the venue so that you can make an informed decision. This just makes sense. Kinda like being a vegan and looking at a menu before you go to a restaurant to make sure you can eat something.
As a Paralympian I have spent my fair share of time in gyms and rec centres. Many, all over the place. Good, bad and ugly.
Today I visited Michael Clarke and used the Cérge app to let them know I was on my way and what I required. The staff at the centre were wonderful, they were friendly, helpful, polite and could not have done more for me. I was given a grand tour of their lovely premises and I felt welcomed and very at eased. To be honest I could not rate them highly enough 10/10 for today's visit.
My lovely tour guide was Jerson and he was such a lovely friendly person, he made me feel very comfortable, there was no rush and he was happy to take as much time as I needed. He was informative and so very polite and happy.
Usually going to a new venue I would feel very nervous because I would have some anxiety that I may not be able to access the centre. I would have million things going around my mind and also hoping I will be treated respectfully.
Today after using Cérge and looking at all the information I felt very calm and relaxed, everything about my experience there was amazing.
I felt like a VIP from start to finish.
Having information before I went to the any new venue and having the staff prepared and welcoming before my visit would make all the difference if Cérge was in places like cafes, restaurants, the theatre! Oh it would be so helpful to my life!
Today was really great, as a person who owns a company - "Wheelie Essentials” to help wheelchair users with accessories when travelling I’m certainly not new to understanding the challenges we encounter daily but gee it’s refreshing to have such amazing and innovative technology breaking into the world! How truly exciting!
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I have Biploar Disorder, Complex PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder and ADHD. I have an Assistance Dog named Buddha and I get questioned constantly about him. Whether it’s people just curious or business owners asking me to “prove” his position. It’s a bit irritating because some people are really pushy and that can trigger things for me and make me panic.
Before going to Michael Clark I already felt my anxiety spiking just thinking about going into a gym environment and all the possible triggers there might be.
My last gym visit was before my conditions got worse which was 2012. Yep, ten years ago. Buddha (My Assistance Dog) & I as a team had not gone to a gym together before. Ever
I had to keep reminding myself that, because of Cerge, the staff knew everything they needed to know and would help make my visit as enjoyable as possible. This definitely helped my anxiety and I just kept repeating it to myself so that I wouldn’t back out.
I arrived at reception and we were nicely greeted by Gwen and shown the main areas, lift access, a quiet place, and the disabled toilets. I felt more at ease after that, knowing where everything was, able to exit the gym easily and quickly if I needed, and a quiet place to regroup myself close by. This is also all available on the companion website in the Visual Story so I can see everything before I arrive which is exceptional.
With Cerge being at the Gym I was able to even just attempt an environment I would have previously avoided and boy oh boy would I avoid it. As I said, ten years.
Knowing the staff knew key information thanks to Cerge gave me hope that I might actually be able to enter a gym and even enjoy it. Honestly I wouldn’t even consider it unless I knew I had this support and it’s weird because it’s all under the radar. It’s not like I had a support worker with me, but it felt like it! Cérge does have a “Social Support “ in the app and that helps because I did know if I was stuck I had someone right there too!
When we left, I was really proud of myself for even attempting to visit a gym, but to be able to stay without issues was ecstatic for me! Home run!!
The experience I had thanks to Cerge has given me confidence that I can be included and use a gym that I never thought was possible. I was over the moon with happiness after the visit.
Thank you Michael Clark for adopting Cérge it literally changes my life!