In short:
A new report has found about 2 per cent of hotel rooms in Brisbane and Cairns are accessible, while on the Gold Coast about 1 per cent meet the criteria as Queensland prepares to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.
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Queensland → find → Olympics
The six-month study revealed that accessible rooms were difficult to identify and that hotels did not support all types of disability.
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hotels → reveal → disability
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said accessibility was an important part of the state government's planning to deliver "a Games for all".
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accessibility → say → all
Fewer than 2 per cent of hotel rooms are accessible in three major Queensland cities, as the state prepares to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, a new report has found.
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report → prepare → Olympics
It revealed accessible hotel rooms in key Games destinations across Brisbane, Cairns and the Gold Coast were scarce, with the international sporting events less than six years away.
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rooms → reveal → events
Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and advisory firm Urbis have released the Games Readiness report today, which investigated the state's hotel and transport accessibility.
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which → release → hotel
Of the more than 750 hotels in the three key cities, the study audited 170 of them, or about 22 per of the market.
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study → audit → market
The study found about 2 per cent of hotel rooms in Brisbane and Cairns were accessible, and about 1 per cent on the Gold Coast.
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cent → find → Coast
"We called each hotel individually and asked them a series of questions about what number of accessible rooms they had, what features they had, where they were located," Urbis' associate director Kali Marnane said.
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director → call → features
Dr Marnane said she was surprised by the lack of accessible options.
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she → say → options
"Particularly when we think that one in five trips in Australia are taken by travellers with disability or with some kind of accessibility need," she said.
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she → think → need
"That really demonstrates that there's a big mismatch between what we have and what we need."
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we → demonstrate → what
The six-month study found that accessible rooms were difficult to identify and that hotels did not support all types of disability, with most providers offering accessibility features primarily designed for people in wheelchairs.
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providers → find → wheelchairs
Natascha Kamp, who has a Functional Neurological Disorder, travels everywhere with her medical assistance dog Evy.
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who → have → dog
Evy helps monitor stress and fatigue to prevent the 27-year-old from having seizures.
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Evy → help → seizures
Ms Kamp said she was not surprised by the report's findings.
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she → say → findings
"I personally don't stay at hotels because I don't find it accessible," she said.
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she → stay → hotels
For her, accessible accommodation meant an area nearby, such as a courtyard, where her assistance dog could relieve themselves.
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dog → mean → themselves
"I don't want to have to travel outside of the hotel and potentially walk several hundred metres to do that," Ms Kamp said.
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Kamp → want → that
"When I'm [looking] for accommodation, I'm looking for my comfort as well as my assistance dog's comfort.
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I → look → comfort
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said accessibility was an important part of the state government's planning for the 2032 Games and beyond.
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accessibility → say → Games
"We promised a Games for all Queenslanders," he said.
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he → promise → Queenslanders
Mr Bleijie said the government was driving development and investment opportunities across the state, streamlining approvals and removing red tape for thousands of new homes as well as hotel accommodation.
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government → say → homes
Queensland Hotel Association chief executive Bernie Hogan said if the Games were to be hosted today, there would be a shortfall for hotel rooms in general.
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Games → say → rooms
He said there would be "an enormous amount of construction" and "new product coming online" in the lead-up to the Games.
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He → say → Games
Mr Hogan said there had been recent awareness campaigns on improving accessibility in the industry, along with updated standards for new builds.
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Hogan → say → builds
I'd say I don't think Queensland was aware or awake to that, maybe even as little as two [or] three years ago," he said.
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he → say → that
Mr Hogan acknowledged that accessible tourism was growing and a "really economically viable market".
"But you don't need 50 per cent of the hotel [rooms] to be accessible," he said.
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he → acknowledge → rooms
"It actually doesn't stack up when you actually start to think about how the travellers are."
Is Queensland ready for the Games?
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Queensland → stack → Games
When asked if the state was ready to host the Games, Dr Marnane said the "polite answer" would be "not quite".
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answer → ask → Games
"We're ready in parts, but not as a system," she said.
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she → say → system
The report also examined connectivity between accommodation providers and earmarked Games venues via public transport.
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report → examine → transport
It found about 56 per cent of Brisbane accommodation providers surveyed could reach five or more venues by public transport within one hour.
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cent → find → hour
But the report showed that at least four venues in Greater Brisbane could not be accessed by public transport.
"This means they will require network upgrades, additional services, event-specific transport or complementary travel options to support reliable return journeys for Games patrons," the study said.
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study → show → patrons
It also recommended clearer information so travellers can plan their journeys.
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travellers → recommend → journeys
QDN chief executive Michelle Moss said the "building blocks" were there to improve accommodation and transport in the lead-up to the 2032 Games.
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blocks → say → Games
She said the disability community was "ready and willing" to work with the hotel and transport sectors and share their lived experience to make Brisbane 2032 a "world-class inclusive Games".
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community → say → Brisbane
The Aporia