The ONCALL Quiet Room: Redefining Accessibility and Inclusivity at The Melbourne Royal Show

Where to find ONCALL’s Quiet Room at the Melbourne Royal Show? Building 5 - Port Phillip Room
(next to Gate 1, 9 News Lifestyle and Local Heroes Pavilion)

Victoria’s disability community continues to receive the ultimate show experience! Last year ONCALL proudly partnered with the Royal Melbourne Show to create The ONCALL Quiet Room, and 2023 we’re returning again to provide a calm, private space for people living with disability, their families and carers. 

As we begin our preparations, we thought we’d take a step back in time to reflect upon how the Carer’s Lounge Quiet Room began…in South Australia!

Meet Jake, an 8 -year-old Adelaide boy who loves to get out and about on an adventure. He loves noise, lights, music, people and fun! Jake also has Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. He is nonverbal and non mobile. He cannot eat food in the standard way, and is fed through a tube into his tummy. He needs someone to help him move, feed and communicate on his behalf, 24/7.

When Jake goes on his adventures, he has had to be fed through his tummy out in public (or a bathroom - yuk! Who wants to eat in a bathroom?), with nowhere to clean the feeding equipment afterwards. He (and his friends) also have had to be changed on a cold, dirty floor of an ‘accessible’ bathroom. He also has mates who need medications administered, breathing issues tended to and sensory sensitivities that need a little extra care.

𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻!

Frustrated mother and carer for Jake, as well as employee of ONCALL partners SACARE Karina McDonald, had a simple discussion with her bosses Stacy Mckenzie and Chloe Kempe - both immediately understanding the necessity for change. 

With over 27 years in the disability industry as providers of community and in-home supports and supported accommodation, ONCALL and SACARE, as a partnership, understand how important spaces like the Carers Lounge and Quiet Room are. 

Bringing peace of mind and ease to everyday living for clients, families and employees is at the heart of everything ONCALL and SACARE stands for. The ONCALL Quiet Room is such a simple solution for ease when anyone living with disability, or their carers, attends public events.

The first collaboration began in 2022, featuring the beloved local event, the Royal Adelaide Show, which draws hundreds of thousands of South Australians annually. Recognizing the significance and need for the Carers Lounge, ONCALL have co-created the Quiet Room with the Melbourne Royal Show!

The dedicated space addresses the real-life challenges faced by families and carers, offering comfort, ease, and a sense of togetherness. It is a response to real needs. Jake's love for life and adventure is infectious, but his condition necessitates round-the-clock care. The Carers Lounge was born out of necessity, a space where feeding, hygiene, and care don't have to compromise dignity or comfort. It’s not just Jake; the entire community with various needs found a space that accommodates them, reducing the daily hurdles they face.

Featured in Sunday Mail, Glam Adelaide and chatting with ABC Radio interview, the feedback was positive, encouraging and served to make following events even better. .

They even received a visit from The Honorary Emily Bourke MP, the world's first Autism Minister.

It’s exciting to see the Melbourne version of the Carers Lounge, recreated as The ONCALL Quiet Room. Located next to the 9 News Lifestyle and Local Heroes Pavilion,, the space will provide a quiet area with an interactive sensory room. Adjoining the sensory room is a private area allowing carers to administer medications and provide any special feeding requirements in a private space. 

Across the foyer of the Pavilion, is the specialised accessible bathroom facility, complete with a height adjustable change table and hoist along with a separate accessible toilet and all the modern conveniences for both the carer and person with disability to tend to their personal needs in a hygienic and comfortable setting.

The “ONCALL Quiet Room” is a collaboration of the Melbourne Royal Show, ONCALL and SACARE to bring inclusion to the fun and festivities that is a well loved, heritage annual event.

Experience comfort, inclusivity, and support like never before. We can't wait to welcome you at our Melbourne Royal Show!

Where to find ONCALL’s Quiet Room at the Melbourne Royal Show? Building 5 - Port Phillip Room
(next to Gate 1, 9 News Lifestyle and Local Heroes Pavilion)