BRISBANE ACCESSIBILITY OVERVIEW

An Accessible and Inclusive City Experience 

As a contemporary global city, Brisbane embraces diversity and is committed to achieving equitable access and inclusion for all visitors. 

Warm, welcoming, progressive yet pragmatic, Brisbane brims with opportunities for everyone to enjoy the wealth of experiences on offer. With an abundance of well-designed, barrier-free precincts, experiences and attractions to explore and a comprehensive collection of accessible accommodation options on offer, Brisbane is a natural choice when seeking a hassle-free holiday that can be equally enjoyed by all. And to further add to the appeal, getting about Brisbane is a breeze, with an extensive and accessible public transport network easily connecting you with where you want to go, enabling you to explore with even more freedom and independence. 

The following information is provided to give you a general overview of accessibility in the region, and to provide relevant resources and contacts for your own travel research. As each person’s needs are as unique as they are, it’s always wise to contact operators directly to discuss your individual access needs, to determine the suitability of the experience for your circumstances and to receive the latest updates. 

Keep listening to learn more about Brisbane’s abundance of accessible travel planning resources, initiatives and experiences. 

Visitor Information Centres 

If you’d like some assistance with directions or itinerary planning or would like to gain handy holiday insights from knowledgeable local experts, Brisbane’s extensive network of Visitor Information Centres are an ideal place to begin your exploration. 

Conveniently located right in the heart of the city centre, the Brisbane Visitor Information and Booking Centre offers a one-stop shop for travel information during your visit.  The award-winning centre is staffed by skilled and knowledgeable local ambassadors offering free booking services and itinerary planning assistance, to help take the stress and struggle out of the travel planning process. They can offer insightful inspiration on where to eat, stay and play during your visit, and can equip you with complimentary brochures, maps and guides that will have you exploring the best of Brisbane in no time!   You can find the centre in the heritage-listed Regent Theatre near the centre of the Queen Street Mall. For visitors enjoying our Southbank precinct, you’ll find a treasure trove of travel information at the South Bank Visitor Information Centre, located in the Stanley Street Plaza. 

For those arriving by air, Brisbane Airport’s domestic and international terminals each feature their own accredited Visitor Information Centre, so you can access travel planning advice as soon as you step off the plane. Touching down with these handy resources, you’ll be perfectly poised to take off on your Brisbane-based adventure. 

For those visitors broadening their horizons further afield, an extensive network of centres serves the information needs of visitors within our diverse sub-regions, from Moreton Bay in the north to Logan City and the Scenic Rim in the south, Redlands to the east and Ipswich to the west. This means that no matter where you roam, travel planning help is always at hand. 

Accessibility Guides, Mobility Maps and Equipment Hire 

To ensure Brisbane is an inclusive city for everyone, the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council have produced a range of helpful resources to assist in planning your accessible visit. You can find links to these resources by go to visit.brisbane.qld.au, then click plan then visitor essentials then accessibility in Bribane.

The Queensland Government has recently produced a handy Accessible Holiday Destination Guide for Greater Brisbane. This user-friendly guide contains a good overview of accessibility features of some of the region’s most visited sites and inclusive experiences, as well as some suggested itineraries and useful links to help in planning your accessible visit to this captivating city.

Brisbane City Council has also produced a mobility map to assist people with limited mobility to navigate the city centre. It shows accessible infrastructure in the City Centre and City Botanic Gardens, including features such as accessible toilets, seating, disability parking spots, taxi ranks, drop-off zones and path gradients. This is available for download from the Brisbane City Council website at Brisbane.qld.gov.au. If you are blind or have low vision and would like support to navigate the city centre or to obtain a hard copy of the map, please contact Council’s Access and Inclusion team by calling 07 3403 8888. Hard copies of the mobility map are also available from the Brisbane Visitor Information and Booking Centre in the Queen Street Mall and the Southbank Visitor Information Centre in Stanley Street.

Scooters, wheelchairs, walking frames, shower chairs and other independent living aids are available for short-term hire from a range of Brisbane-based businesses such as Independent Living Specialists and Mobility Rentals and Sales. Please contact companies directly to discuss your unique rental requirements. 

Accommodation, Attractions and Transport 

As a contemporary capital city, Brisbane offers a plethora of accessible accommodation options to make your stay memorable for all the right reasons. 

From spacious suites in the centre of the city’s action, to accessible inter-connecting rooms offering comfort and convenience when travelling with family and friends, Brisbane delivers a diverse range of user-friendly options, ranging from uber luxurious lodgings to functional, family-friendly hotels. To get a glimpse of some of our fabulous accessible accommodation providers within the region, please go to visit.brisbane.qld.au and search ‘Accessible Hotels’. 

Once you’ve got your lodgings sorted, it’s time to plan your adventure! Whether you’re a food-centric explorer, a wine connoisseur, an animal-obsessed adventurer, or an adorer of the arts, Brisbane boasts a host of accessible sites, experiences and attractions to discover. To learn more about the accessibility offerings of tourism businesses across the Brisbane region, please refer to the resources listed above, and the accessibility information included at the end of each Brisbane-based audio guide. You may also like to check out the article on some of ‘Brisbane’s Best Accessible Experiences’ and ‘Wheelchair-Friendly Activities’ by searching ‘Accessibility’ on the Visit Brisbane website. Lavishly spread across Brisbane’s distinct and unique precincts, you can also sample a smorgasbord of accessible spots to refuel with delicious food and drink, seasoned with fresh flavours, friendly service and creative culture. 

Companion cards are accepted at a wide range of tourism experiences, event venues and other businesses throughout Brisbane, offering free entry to carers assisting people with lifelong disabilities in possession of a Companion Card issued by any state or territory within Australia. Please search ‘Queensland Companion Card’ to find out more about obtaining or using a Companion Card, including an online directory of participating businesses in the Brisbane region. 

Serving the thriving capital city of Queensland, Brisbane Airport offers convenient and direct air access from a host of domestic and international destinations, while inter-city bus and rail services ensure good ground transport connections across Australia. An extensive and largely accessible public transport network allows you to get about with independence and ease, while a host of inclusive tour options offer audio commentary and expert insights for those who prefer to be guided by a knowledgeable local. For further information about transport and tours, please refer to the ‘Getting To And Around Brisbane’ audio guide. 

City Streets, Footpaths and Braille Trails 

Brisbane City Council aims to ensure pedestrians of all ages and abilities can walk or wheel around the city’s streets and footpaths safely. To help make this possible, Council has installed a range of audio and tactile features to help those with access needs navigate the city centre with greater ease and independence.

The city centre’s braille trail is a major navigational aid for people who are blind or have low vision. A braille trail is a tactile pathway of paving with dot and dash patterns that can be followed by a person using a white cane. Tiles with ridges indicate the direction of travel along the trail. Tiles with raised dots warn of changes in direction or upcoming hazards. Council's braille trail runs down both sides of the Queen Street Mall. There are six cross-over trails between the two main trails. The trail also runs through Reddacliff Place, at the river end of the Queen Street Mall; and through King George Square between Adelaide and Ann Streets, connecting to the main entrance of City Hall and both entrances of the King George Square Bus station.

The inner city and surrounding precincts also feature quite extensive use of audio-tactile pedestrian facilities. These devices are attached to push-button pedestrian crossing, offering an audio, tactile and visual signal to indicate when it’s safe to cross a road or intersection, assisting with safe passage of pedestrians. 

The city also features over 600 tactile street signs, mainly at major City Centre locations and intersections at South Brisbane, Spring Hill, Stones Corner, Fortitude Valley, Coorparoo and Sandgate. Placed on pedestrian crossing signal poles, these brightly coloured signs have yellow raised letters on a blue background, spelling out the name and building numbers of the relevant street, with the same information also inscribed in braille. The signs are placed vertically on the pole just above the signalised button that you press to cross the road. They can be found by listening for the ‘beep’ of the audio crossing signal. By reading both signs, people can tell which corner they are on and decide which direction of travel to take.

These handy accessibility aids will help you navigate the city streets with greater safety, freedom and independence. 

Travelling With An Assistance Animal

Your registered assistance animal is welcome to accompany you on your visit to beautiful Brisbane.

Queensland has strong laws in place concerning access rights for guide dogs, hearing dogs and other certified assistance animals assisting people with disabilities. These legislative rights are governed by the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dog Act 2009, and entitle accredited animals assisting registered handlers full public access rights to all public places, public passenger vehicles and places of accommodation. This includes shops, cinemas, cafes, restaurants, clubs, rental and holiday accommodation, taxis, planes, public transport and entertainment and sports venues. Under the legislation, it is an offence to refuse service or accommodation to a person accompanied by an accredited assistance animal. Please note that rare exceptions may apply, such as in commercial food preparation areas and walk-through exhibits at zoos. Please ensure you carry your handler’s identification card and any relevant accreditation paperwork with you. 

Certified guide, hearing and assistance dogs are also permitted in Queensland’s national parks and forests, including camping areas. Dogs must wear an identifying coat or harness, and the approved badge or tag. Please note that some restrictions may apply to parks that include walk-through exhibits or animal encounters.  For further information about accessibility of Queensland’s National Parks, please search ‘Queensland National Parks Accessibility’.