Inclusion & Accessibility

Jam Card Friendly

Giving Our Employees & Guests ‘just a Minute’ Discreetly and Easily

We are thrilled to announce that Trigon Hotels have partnered with NOW to become a JAM Card Friendly Hotel. As a socially conscious hotel group, we believe that everyone has the right to feel supported and welcomed in our environment. As such we have taken the initiative and we are taking steps to train our teams in disability etiquette. This is yet another step in our inclusivity journey and will equip us even more skills to communicate with team members and customers in an empathetic and appropriate manner.

Here at Trigon Hotels, we are committed to ensuring that our services are accessible to everyone and that includes persons with learning difficulties and communication barriers. We want to welcome all JAM Card users to Trigon Hotels, and we are supporting our colleagues to recognise the card to make our customers and guests’ experience as stress-free as possible.

As a JAM Card Friendly hotel, our team are committing to growing our knowledge base about how to provide excellent customer service when serving a person with a disability. We at Trigon Hotels strongly believe that being a JAM Card friendly hotel will mean that we will learn as a group  more about how to support persons with learning difficulties and communication barriers when they stay with us or use any of our services.

What is a JAM Card?

The Just A Minute (JAM) Card allows people with a learning difficulty, autism or communication barrier to tell others they need ‘Just A Minute’ discreetly and easily in customer service situations. JAM Card is now available for free as a plastic card or an app for your phone. Or, if you like, both. For more information on getting a JAM Card, visit jamcard.org.

How Does A JAM Card Work?

Those with a communication barrier are often reluctant or unable to tell others about their condition. JAM Card allows this to happen in a simple, effective non-verbal manner.

JAM Card was originally developed for those with learning disabilities and difficulties. However, it can be used by anyone with a communication barrier.

For instance, JAM Card can be used by people with Asperger’s or autism. It can also be used by those who have a brain injury and people who otherwise feel self-conscious about their ability to effectively communicate when engaging with others.

ASD Awareness

Autism Awareness and Support During Your Visit

Planning family holidays tend to be a military operation at the best of times, but when you are travelling with children with autism, you might need a little help with preparation. Travelling with people with ASD can bring about anxiety when regular schedules are disrupted and routines broken. Stressful feelings around new environments, new food and new people can be heightened a little bit more. However, we believe that having a holiday should be a fun and exciting experience for everyone, so we are doing everything we can to ensure that you don’t have to worry about a thing when you stay with us, and that we have everything we need to make you comfortable and feel prepared for your trip. We are proud to be ASD friendly and offer a safe environment for families and children with autism.

In 2019, Cork International Hotel joined forces with The Rainbow Club, Cork to achieve several key goals to train staff, develop social stories, introduce autism-friendly sensory tools and toys and develop a sensory activity specific to the hotel. In return, Cork International Hotel became a key fundraising partner for the charity, donating all the profits of their annual Cork International Car Show as well as proceeds from several other in-house events to the charity. This partnership ran for 2 years and our hotel raised over €50,000 over the course of the partnership for this charity.

Visual Aids

Visual Supports (“Stories”) For Guests With Autism

Visual supports can be used to communicate with people on the autism spectrum. They are adaptable, portable and can be used in most situations.

Visual supports can help to provide structure and routine, encourage independence, build confidence, improve understanding, avoid frustration and anxiety, and provide opportunities to interact with others. They can make communication physical and consistent, rather than fleeting and inconsistent like spoken words can be.

To assist you in your upcoming visit, we have developed visual supports or ‘stories’ for you to print at home and use before and during your trip. We invite you to download these and to use them, or make your own.