Belgravia Foundation and WaterMarc launch communication initiative to welcome patrons with disability

Belgravia Foundation and WaterMarc have worked with application developer Cérge to introduce a communications platform to improve inclusion of patrons with disability. WaterMarc is owned by Banyule City Council and operated by Belgravia Leisure.

More than four million Australians live with disability. Research shows that a large number of these people experience disability-related discrimination, and many avoid situations because of their disability. The creators of the Cérge app hope to reduce this discrimination, and the anxiety that can be experienced by people with disability when interacting with service staff.

The app is described as a ‘digital concierge’. It allows users to enter their personal preferences, and to nominate businesses they interact with. When a user visits a participating business, they can use the app to communicate their preferences to customer service staff.

WaterMarc’s Community Engagement and Inclusion Coordinator, Catherine Corbett, was excited to introduce the app to staff and patrons, and believes it will improve staff confidence to welcome and include all members of the Banyule community. She explained, ‘the user can communicate a message to the staff up to one hour before their arrival, and the app will notify our staff when the customer arrives’. She anticipates that this will help the team to provide personalised customer service, without relying on assumptions about the preferences of patrons.

Belgravia Foundation congratulates the team on adopting this new initiative, and encourages all leisure venues to consider innovative ways to provide an inclusive welcome.