Disability workers and their clients could be one step closer to a more inclusive shopping experience due to a profound new technology that is growing in popularity.
An increasing number of local customer service and hospitality businesses in the region are on board with the new app in a bid to be more customer friendly.
The Cérge app allows those with a disability to check in prior to arrival and lets businesses know of their needs ahead of their shopping experience.
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The platform partners with businesses that are happy to make extra allowances for people with various disabilities, such as Maroochydore’s Murray’s on sixth.
Pre-registered organisations can include retail, hospitality, sporting, allied health or tourism business.
KB Infinity support services employee Mari Walfridsson Pye had the “great pleasure” of taking one of her clients, Malia to Murray’s on Sixth cafe in Maroochydore after booking through the Cérge app.
Her client is in a wheelchair and is nonverbal, which makes going out to get a coffee sometimes be “a bit of a mission” for both parties.
Ms Walfridsson Pye said using the Cérge App made for a totally different sotry.
She said signing up to the app was easy and handy.
Then, she chose a partnered business and sent them a bit of information about any requirements they had before they turned up, as well as their ETA.
“This helps both us and the business owner by letting them know if we need wheelchair access, a table with a chair cleared for the wheelchair, inside/outside preference, a quiet area preference, extra pillows or table service,” Ms Walfridsson Pye said.
“They met us at the door and led us to our table, organised for us. They were all super friendly and helpful.
“We were asked if my client wanted her coffee a bit less hot, so she could drink it easier through a straw. It was overall a great experience and my client had a great time.”
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Meanwhile, disability worker and sole trader Lauren Broom had a similar positive experience using the Cérge app with her client, Brodie Taylor.
“Brodie was a bit nervous before heading into the cafe as he has difficulty with communication being nonverbal,” Ms Broom said.
“Once we had arrived, all worries disappeared … by using Cérge we were welcomed by the staff using our names and shown our seats outside as requested,
“Even chair had been moved away.
“The waitress was so thoughtful speaking directly to Brodie himself which made him feel respected and visible.”
Cérge Co-founder Chris Kerrisk said when originally founding the technology, their clients educated them that more than 70 per cent of disability is invisible.
“We created Cérge to make the customer service more inclusive in customer service for people with disability, to try to remedy this” he said.
“We currently have about 1000 people who have downloaded to use our application, primarily on the sunshine coast and in Melbourne.
“We are approaching around 30 venues being on board on our platform.”
He said disability workers and local businesses should get involved because the greatest source of discrimination people with disability was from service and hospitality staff.
“It’s about a 76 per cent higher than if you are an employer with a disability … it’s the biggest problem for the world’s largest minority group,” he said.
“In order to improve community participation, independence and confidence, you need to remove that mental barrier of how you are going to be perceived and treated … that is the biggest barrier to community participation and accessible tourism.
“For them to be seen and heard for the first time, which is one of the biggest challenges with access and inclusion, is what we created the technology for.
“It’s amazing that our little app can do something so profound.”
The Cérge app is simple for staff to use, with the training of the technology taking about 15 minutes.
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“We have partnered with spinal life Australia to deliver any disability training that clients would like to have in conjunction in adopting Cérge ,” he said.
Earlier this month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also declared 2023 to be the Year of Accessible Tourism, announcing a $12 million investment that will ignite change and create opportunities for Queensland tourism operators.
“We are excited about this announcement, as Cérge solves the greatest mental barriers to accessible tourism – which are the fears, anxieties and examples of previous discrimination and perception of how you will be treated as tourists,” Mr Kerrisk said.
Head to Cerge or join their community Cérge Community
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