09/10/2026
I was at work one day, just rambling away on Facebook like I do... Sorry about that, haha! 😂
Anyway, I received a comment from a guest who mentioned that our Monkey Nut Café was quite noisy and asked whether we could accommodate their son, who needed a calmer, quieter space when dining.
And it really made me think.
Up until that point, when I thought about accessibility, I thought about things like accessible parking, toilets and wheelchair access.
But I hadn't really grasped just how wide and varied people's accessibility needs could be.
And I certainly hadn't considered that by not offering something as simple as a quieter place to enjoy lunch, we could unintentionally be excluding people from visiting us.
That really stuck with me.
So I set about trying to change it.
But the more I looked into accessibility, the more I realised just how much I didn't know.
We invited an organisation called Purple Orange to come and audit our venue, to help us understand where we could improve and what barriers we might not even realise existed.
Our team attended training sessions with Purple Orange, where we were encouraged to ask questions, learn and better understand how we could make our service more inclusive.
And honestly, it opened our eyes.
We then set about making some changes.
~ We extended our licensed area and installed our beautiful marquee, creating an additional dining space for guests who prefer a calmer, quieter environment.
~ We developed Braille menus for both our café and cellar door, along with pictorial menus to make ordering easier for guests with different communication needs.
~ We introduced step-free access maps and detailed accessibility guides so guests can plan their visit before they even arrive.
~ We improved the information available about accessible parking, bathrooms and navigating our venue.
~ We introduced social scripts to help guests who benefit from knowing what to expect before visiting.
~ We looked at how we could better accommodate wheelchair users and guests with limited mobility throughout our dining and w**e tasting experiences.
And of course, we've continued working towards our goal of being a w**ery that welcomes families, with kids' menus, highchairs, colouring activities, lawns to play on and spaces where children can be children.
Because the more we learnt, the more we realised that accessibility isn't just about being able to physically enter a building.
It's about being able to actually enjoy the experience once you're there.
And I am SO, SO proud of our team for embracing all of this. ❤️
Fast forward a year, and we received the most beautiful feedback from guests who were able to come and enjoy our venue in a way that worked for them.
And that, to me, is what it's all about.
People enjoying our little piece of the Barossa exactly as it should be enjoyed. Not just by some people, but by everyone.
And then, to top it all off, we received Wheelchair Friendly and Limited Mobility Friendly accreditation through the Tourism Industry Council South Australia!
Which is just incredible, and something we're all so proud of.
Now, are we perfect? Absolutely not!
Are we learning and improving all the time? You bet we are!
And I think that's probably the biggest thing I've learnt through this whole process.
Accessibility isn't a box you tick. It's a commitment to keep listening, learning and doing better.
We genuinely LOVE receiving feedback from our guests.
Sometimes it tells us we're doing something right, and sometimes it opens our eyes to something we hadn't even thought about.
And both are equally valuable.
Anyway, here I am rambling again! 😂
But I just wanted to say how much we appreciate everyone who has supported us, shared their experiences or helped us learn along the way.
And we'd genuinely love to hear from you.
Have you visited us and had a wonderful experience? Is there something we could do differently to make your next visit easier or more enjoyable? Or is there something we've completely overlooked?
Please tell us!
Because our goal has always been to be a w**ery for everyone.
And with your help, we're going to keep working towards exactly that. ❤️
Thank you for being part of our journey.
Jesseca x
