Accessible Tourism
4.0 Opportunities and Best Practice
From an accessible tourism perspective, while Australia has a long road to go, our research over the last five years has uncovered a positive change towards improving access and an increased desire to make change. It is increasingly a priority component of future infrastructure planning and design in public spaces and amenities and destinations are leading the way to improve access, setting the benchmark for businesses to look beyond compliance.
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (AUSTRADE) proposed strategy for the visitor economy THRIVE 2030 (The Re-Imagined Visitor Economy) identified diversification as one of the key priorities for the recovery of the visitoreconomy. Within this is the focus on enhancing visitor infrastructure and the diversification of experiences to make it more accessible. A greater focus on accessibility will enable tourism operators to attract this emerging and valuable market, as well as better meet the needs of changing demographics of travellers.
Destinations
Accessible tourism in Australia is getting more traction than ever before, with each state and territory mandated under the Disability Services Act to develop a Disability Inclusion Plan. Key to this is to ensure that these plans are consistently implemented to ensure people with disability have continued access to improved services and experiences to enable the quality of life they deserve. Supporting this has been the recruitment of disability experts with lived experience into council and destination teams across many parts of Australia.
This priority focus as part of business as usual has seen significant improvement in infrastructure across the country.
Designing public spaces with the residents' needs front of mind provides a strong foundation for destination development. This notion of place making and design extends to enabling infrastructure for people with disability. When done well, this provides confidence in visiting and further exploring the destination. This has been a significant focus for the NSW Government’s Regional Growth Fund Program which has had a focus on improved accessibility woven throughout a majority of the 2,700 projects funded to date.
Equally the way in which we promote destinations to people with disability as well as the way we communicate when visiting is integral. Visit Canberra and South Australia Tourism Commission have made significant strides forward with improved inclusion of people with disability in their brand marketing as well as their content libraries for industry to access.
Queensland also does this well, with a number of accessible travel guides for major cities and most regional tourism organisations having accessible trip planning pages. The City of Sydney has seen accessible improvements in the last several years with significant work in the main CBD and main visitor hubs. They have developed an accessibility map, highlighting accessible public transport options, steps and uneven footing in the city and locating suitable alternatives. Destination NSW have compiled a guide on Accessible Sydney with things to do and how to get around.
An inclusive capital
Australia’s capital city offers a myriad of attractions with their slogan ‘more than inclusive, more than accessible’. Canberra is well known for its many cultural institutions and most attractions are family-friendly and suitable for people with different kinds of accessibility needs. Public transport (buses and trams) including the Canberra Airport and hop-on hop-off tourism circuit, are wheelchair accessible and have both visual and auditory stop information and support information.
Inclusive adventure tourism
The Tropical North Queensland region, which includes Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, offers an experience for every kind of traveller and every kind of accessibility level. In partnership with Spinal Life Australia and Out There Travel Care, Tourism Tropical North Queensland developed an accessible travel hub to provide inspiration for people planning a holiday and showcase accessible and inclusive experiences.
Experiences and Attractions
More recently there has been an increase in products and experiences that lead the way as best practice for the way they have seamlessly integrated accessibility into their business. One business leading the way is Global Ballooning Australia with the introduction of Australia’s first easy access basket hot air balloon which includes a door in the basket, to international franchise iFLY providing safe accessible experiences for visitors with staff trained and prepared to support and guide wheelchair users throughout the indoor skydiving experience. There are businesses working to support specific disabilities, including Travengers who provide supported youth travel for people with hidden disabilities including young autistic people. They enable building social networks and friendships, travel and build skills and confidence to move forward through trips, social events and virtual tours across Australia.
Australia’s airports are now ensuring that people with hidden disabilities are catered for under Integrated Hidden Disabilities programs. At most airports, a lanyard system discreetly notifies staff in terminals of the travellers’ needs, social stories have been created depicting a typical journey, as well a sensory map which provides step-by-step guides on navigating their way through the airport through busy areas and potential trigger points.
Improving access to national landscapes
Across Australia, and more notably New South Wales and Victoria, state National Park bodies have introduced a number of accessible friendly offerings and initiatives to improve access for visitors including improving walking tracks, canoe launch pads and all-terrain wheelchairs (Trailrider). In South Australia, the Tantanoola Caves in the Limestone Coast continues to lead the way by being one of Australia’s few wheelchair accessible caves.
Extending the sensors beyond sight
Sensory disabilities are one of the most common with 1 in 6 Australians affected by hearing loss and almost 400,000 people who are blind or have low vision. Operating across Australia, Cocky Guides provide tactile and multi-sensory tours for the blind and low-vision community. Every tour and adventure is designed for travellers who are independent, or use either a cane, guide dog or a companion as a guide. Launched in 2022, Vacayit is an app built specifically for visitors who are blind or have low vision, to assist them in the research and planning of their trip, as well as while experiencing. The app features audio-rich stories, soundscapes and conversations of destinations, attractions and experiences.
Events and Venues
For leisure events to be truly accessible and inclusive, there are a number of key factors and stakeholders involved to implement true change and ensure success. It is essential that all elements of the customer journey are aligned with the event destination and venue in terms of supply (infrastructure, access and transport).
Event planners have a major role to play in terms of having accessibility in mind in the planning, delivery and after the event. Providing access is the responsibility of the event organiser, and including people with disability in the planning of design, development and delivery is encouraged. To truly be inclusive, budget and resourcing needs to be allocated to provide accessible options and translation services. The marketing and promotion of the event should be inclusive and clear on what access services are being provided and provide opportunities for attendees to provide information on needs. Another way for events to be inclusive is to ensure disability representation in planning committees and as delivery partners.
Ticketing continues to be improved upon with both Ticketek and Ticketmaster identifying ways to streamline this process and improve the booking system for people with disability and companions, and advocating for developments. It is a collaborative effort with ticketing and venues to work together to ensure the sites are accessible and have suitable and adequate seating options available.
In Australia, most sporting and performance venues are not suitable as they have not been constructed to compliant standards or in some instances where upgrades have been made, limitations such as heritage status has meant that some upgraded venues still fall short. When remodelling and renovating aged arenas and stadiums, it is important that architects and builders consult with the disabled community before construction to identify the priorities and necessities for enhanced amenity seating and wheelchair positions, as well as other accessible requirements. The redevelopment of the Allianz Stadium in Sydney was designed to meet the accessibility needs of members, guests and patrons of the venue including accessible gates, Hearing Loop facilities available at box offices and some food and beverage outlets, accessible bays for seating throughout the stadium and accessible bathrooms (including one Changing Places Bathroom).
Enhancing the event experience
The Optus Stadium in Perth is another example of a stadium serving the accessible tourism market with more than 60 universal accessible toilets, three changing places toilets (the first stadium in Australia to have more than one), universal access seating throughout the Stadium, 450 wheelchair positions located throughout the arena and across levels, 327 enhanced amenity seating, lifts, and permanent ACROD parking bays. The overall experience at the Stadium has been designed with accessibility in mind with stadium tours fully accessible and rooftop experiences available for people with disability to participate in.
Creating a Legacy
To ensure success for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the foundations and model has been set for how Brisbane can deliver an accessible event for all, spectators and athletes, based on the success and legacy of both the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018 and Invictus Games 2018 in Sydney. As well as this is learning from past Olympic events where social legacy outcomes came of age and new standards for accessibility and equality were set for all sports and athletes. With 10 years till the Brisbane 2032 Games, it provides a great opportunity to showcase sport for people with disability and help set new standards for inclusion, accessibility and equality.
Organisations and Initiatives
There are a number of organisations and initiatives who service the accessible industry through education, training, guidance, reviews, and grants. A number of design specialists and architects exist who focus on working with tourism and hospitality organisations to ensure accessibility is considered throughout by incorporating universal design through the space. These organisations and initiatives aim to remove the stigma within society and the environment, addressing the social model of disability.
GetAboutAble is a social enterprise focused on improving travel and leisure options for people with disabilities and offers a unique platform to promote inclusive businesses around the globe. GetAboutAble are the producers of the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Conference in the Asia-Pacific (AITCAP) which showcases and highlights the value of the accessible and inclusive market, opportunities for growth and connections with industry. In a collaboration with YouLi, an accessible travel marketplace was launched to make it easier for people with disabilities to find and book accessible travel experiences. Similarly, WheelEasy provides geo-location maps and wheelchair-accessible information for destinations and attractions.
Training programs for staff and workplaces are available for better education and awareness of the accessible tourism sector and the needs of people with disability for staff to better deliver exceptional customer experiences. Some examples include the William Angliss Institute Disability Awareness Training, the SBS Inclusion Program, programs through Get Skilled Access, as well as specific accessible tourism training modules which were developed by the Australian Tourism Industry Council in collaboration with Travability and implemented across various states.
Changing Places implementation
Changing Places is an initiative advocating for major public spaces across Australia by installing full sized adult changing tables and hoists into public toilets. Accessible adult change facilities were included in the 2019 National Construction Code - Building Codes of Australia (BCA), Volume 1. In addition to what is legislated in the BCA, the Changing Places campaign calls for changing places toilets to be installed in all major public spaces including city centres, shopping centres, hospitals, highway services stations, libraries and leisure complexes, major railway stations, airports and arts venues. Shepparton in Victoria was announced a Changing Places region in October, 2022 as part of their broader focus on access and inclusion.
Spreading the message
Australia’s first disability travel specific magazine was launched in 2019, Travel Without Limits was developed to share accessible information for the varied needs and challenges faced by people with disability while travelling and focuses on international experiences.
Accommodation
There is a gap throughout Australia in providing integrated accessible experiences and facilities in accommodation offerings. While some hotels may have large and modern designed accessible rooms and bathrooms, in most cases the rest of the hotel is not accessible. This has been noted in terms of lighting, lifts, pool and spa access, flooring, and other amenities.
While there is a long way to go for accommodation providers in ensuring universal design is employed across their properties to properly service this sector, one source of information is the database of listings curated by Accessible Accommodation. It is a database of holiday, respite, short-term, and medium-term stays for anyone with a disability, including elderly and NDIS participants all over Australia. Offerings are audited and assessed and when suitable, acknowledged with a qualified certification.
Launching in 2023, Inclusion Training for Accommodation Providers is a collaboration between Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and Accessible Accommodation which offers two courses for accommodation managers and owners, and the other for day-to-day staff members. The Training offers practical steps, simple adaptions, stories, and scenarios from people with disabilities who love to travel.