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Games Readiness
A Queensland Opportunity
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide an opportunity to create lasting improvements in accessibility and inclusion across Queensland. Building on the work of the 2024 Game Changers report, this new report brings together research, lived experience, industry insights and case studies to identify the opportunities, challenges and actions needed to create a lasting legacy that supports accessible, reliable and inclusive experiences for 2032 and beyond.
Developed by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and Urbis, the report was informed by lived-experience user journeys undertaken by 22 QDN members across almost 80 trips in three locations. Their experiences provide practical insight into what works, where barriers occur and what is needed to make the entire journey accessible.
Games Readiness Report
Developed by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and Urbis in collaboration with people with lived experience of disability.
Key Findings
Queensland is a welcoming state, and meaningful progress has been made in improving accessibility across transport and accommodation. However, as the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, this report finds that Queensland is ready in parts, but not yet as a system. Accessible infrastructure and services exist, but they are not consistently integrated to support reliable, end–to–end journeys for all visitors.
Limited Accessible Hotel Room Supply and Uncertain Booking
The accommodation audit reviewed approximately 170 hotels across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns. While accessible rooms are present across all regions, they remain limited in number, inconsistently configured and difficult to book with confidence, with fewer than 2% of hotel rooms accessible in key Games destinations.
Accessible journeys depend on the whole system working together
Queensland has accessible transport infrastructure and strong connections in many locations, particularly around central Brisbane. However, accessibility is less consistent across outer-suburban locations and other Games destinations. Information, interchanges, wayfinding, ticketing, staff support and service reliability all need to work together for a traveller to complete their journey independently and with confidence.
Moving from Parts to a System
The report identifies that we are ready in parts, but there is more focused and dedicated work to do to deliver an accessible and inclusive whole connected system.
Media Coverage of Games Readiness
Why it matters
Accessibility is not one accessible bus, hotel room or venue – it is the whole journey working together.
We know from the feedback from people with disability, what works well is clear information, connected environments, inclusive staff, predictable services, enough space and flexibility when things change.
Queensland is ready in parts; the opportunity now is to connect those parts into one reliable system.
For people with disability, the ability to find suitable accommodation, access accurate information and travel confidently from home, airport or accommodation to a destination is the game changer to ensure independence, participation and choice every day.
Voices from the project
Twenty-two QDN members brought their lived experience of disability to the project through user journeys examining transport and accommodation from first mile to last mile.
Their experiences highlighted that accessibility is not determined by one accessible hotel room, station, vehicle or venue. People need every part of the journey to connect.
The user journeys also identified what supports a positive and accessible experience: clear and accessible information; connected accessible environments; inclusive and responsive staff; frequent and predictable services; sufficient space and universal design; integrated journeys; and flexibility and reasonable adjustments when people’s needs or circumstances change.
These insights informed the report’s case studies, findings and recommendations and provide a practical picture of what good accessibility looks like in practice.
Games Readiness Report
Developed by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and Urbis in collaboration with people with lived experience of disability.
The opportunity
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games present a unique opportunity to accelerate inclusion across Queensland.
Meaningful legacy does not happen simply because a major event arrives. It requires deliberate action, collaboration and a commitment to designing inclusion into the systems, places and opportunities that shape everyday life.
The Games Readiness Report asks an important question: what would it take to ensure the benefits of Brisbane 2032 are experienced by everyone?
The report explores the areas of opportunity for change across transport and accommodation, highlighting where there is potential to strengthen inclusion, address barriers and create lasting impact. It provides a practical pathway for government, industry and community to turn ambition into action, and to ensure inclusion is embedded in the legacy of the Games.
Report Recommendations
The report provides six recommendations focus on practical, system-level actions that could be considered by the Queensland Government and key Games partners to improve accessibility and deliver inclusive experiences for residents, athletes, staff, volunteers and visitors.
Standardise accessible accommodation information
Accessible information is accurate, comparable, and easy to find, giving visitors confidence to identify and book accommodation that meets their needs.
Increase accessible accommodation
Accessible accommodation supply better reflect community need, ensuring visitors with disability can stay comfortably and close to the Games venues.
Enabled end to end journeys
Visitors can complete airport to accommodation to venue journeys with confidence, without avoidable barriers or reliance on ad hoc assistance.
Strengthen journey information
All travellers can plan, navigate and adapt to their journey independently, confident that accessibility needs a recognised and supported.
Build frontline capacity
Staff and volunteers with disability are supported through inclusive workplace standards and all staff and volunteers are confident and capable in supporting guest with disability, particularly during peak demand and disrupted conditions.
Set inclusive standards
Inclusion is visible, expected and consistently delivered with Queensland presenting a welcoming, respectful experience for all residents, athletes, game staff, volunteers and visitors.
In collaboration with
This report has been developed through collaboration between Queenslanders with Disability Network and Urbis, with funding from the Queensland Government Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety in connection with QDN’s role as the executive peak body for Queenslanders with disability.
It brings together the lived experience and advocacy expertise of QDN with Urbis’ research, strategy, planning and future-focused expertise to explore what is possible when government, industry and community work together.
Make lived experience of disability a part of your next project
connects organisations with specialist QDN members who bring professional expertise and lived experience of disability to provide practical business solutions, develop strategies and implement plans to create a culture of inclusivity.
Report Launch
On 17 September 2026, QDN and Urbis brought together (X stakeholders) to officially launch Games Readiness – Queensland Hotel and Transport Accessibility and started the next conversation about [topic].
[Short description of event + speakers.]
Games Readiness Report
Developed by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and Urbis in collaboration with people with lived experience of disability.