Skip to main content

Making Your Tourism Business More Accessible

Create inclusive experiences for visitors of all abilities

Hayden Zammit Meaney avatar
Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney
Updated today

Making Your Tourism Business More Accessible

Accessible tourism is about creating experiences that everyone can enjoy, regardless of ability. When you improve accessibility, you welcome more visitors, create better experiences for everyone, and demonstrate your commitment to inclusion.

Why accessibility matters

Accessible tourism makes good business sense:

  • Growing market — 1 in 5 Australians lives with disability

  • Travelling companions — accessible visitors travel with family and friends

  • Ageing population — accessibility needs increase with age

  • Better for everyone — accessible design helps all visitors

  • Legal requirements — discrimination laws require reasonable adjustments

  • Social responsibility — everyone deserves to experience tourism

Understanding accessibility needs

Accessibility covers many different needs:

Mobility

Visitors who use wheelchairs, walkers, or have difficulty walking:

  • Level access and ramps

  • Wide doorways and pathways

  • Accessible toilets

  • Seating and rest areas

  • Accessible parking

Vision

Visitors who are blind or have low vision:

  • Audio descriptions

  • Large print materials

  • Good lighting and contrast

  • Tactile wayfinding

  • Staff assistance

Hearing

Visitors who are Deaf or hard of hearing:

  • Auslan interpreters

  • Captioning

  • Visual alerts

  • Written information

  • Hearing loop systems

Cognitive and sensory

Visitors with autism, intellectual disability, or sensory processing needs:

  • Clear and simple information

  • Quiet spaces

  • Visual schedules

  • Sensory-friendly options

  • Staff understanding

Hidden disabilities

Many disabilities aren't visible:

  • Chronic fatigue conditions

  • Mental health conditions

  • Chronic pain

  • Invisible physical conditions

Assessing your current accessibility

Start by understanding where you are:

Conduct an accessibility audit

  • Walk through your visitor experience from start to finish

  • Consider each disability type

  • Note barriers and challenges

  • Identify what's working well

  • Prioritise improvements

Get expert input

Consider:

  • Hiring an accessibility consultant

  • Inviting people with disabilities to review your experience

  • Joining accessibility networks

  • Using accessibility assessment tools

Check your communications

Review how accessible your information is:

  • Website accessibility (screen reader compatible, good contrast)

  • Printed materials (available in accessible formats)

  • Booking process (accessible for all)

  • Pre-visit information (clear and comprehensive)

Making physical improvements

Access and pathways

  • Install ramps with appropriate gradients (maximum 1:14)

  • Ensure pathways are wide enough for wheelchairs (minimum 1.2m)

  • Provide level rest areas on slopes

  • Remove or reduce steps where possible

  • Ensure surfaces are firm and even

Doorways and entrances

  • Widen doorways to minimum 850mm clear width

  • Install automatic doors where practical

  • Ensure door handles are easy to operate

  • Reduce threshold heights

  • Provide covered entrances

Toilets and facilities

  • Install accessible toilets meeting Australian Standards

  • Ensure clear floor space for wheelchair users

  • Install grab rails

  • Provide accessible basins and fixtures

  • Include baby change facilities

Signage and wayfinding

  • Use clear, high-contrast signage

  • Include symbols and pictograms

  • Install tactile ground surface indicators

  • Provide maps in accessible formats

  • Ensure signage is at appropriate heights

Seating and rest areas

  • Provide seating throughout your experience

  • Include accessible seating options

  • Create rest areas with shade and shelter

  • Ensure seating is at appropriate heights

  • Provide wheelchair-accessible spaces

Improving experiences and services

Staff training

Train all staff to:

  • Welcome visitors with disability confidently

  • Ask how to help rather than assuming

  • Communicate clearly and respectfully

  • Use accessible language

  • Know what accessibility features you offer

Information and communication

Make information accessible:

  • Provide information in multiple formats

  • Use plain language and simple layouts

  • Offer audio descriptions for visual content

  • Provide Auslan interpretation for key experiences

  • Ensure your website meets accessibility standards

Booking and pre-visit

Make the booking process accessible:

  • Ask about accessibility needs during booking

  • Provide detailed accessibility information

  • Offer phone booking options

  • Send pre-visit information in accessible formats

  • Confirm accessibility arrangements before arrival

Equipment and aids

Consider providing:

  • Wheelchairs or mobility aids for loan

  • Hearing loops in key areas

  • Large print materials

  • Assistive technology

  • Sensory tools for those who need them

Creating accessible experiences

Tours and activities

Adapt your experiences:

  • Offer different pacing options

  • Provide seated alternatives where possible

  • Consider sensory-friendly sessions

  • Train guides in accessible delivery

  • Offer private or small group options

Accommodation

For accommodation providers:

  • Offer accessible rooms meeting Australian Standards

  • Provide equipment like shower chairs

  • Ensure clear information about accessibility features

  • Train housekeeping staff on accessibility

  • Consider Changing Places facilities

Events

For event organisers:

  • Include accessible seating areas

  • Provide Auslan interpreters

  • Offer captioning for speeches

  • Create quiet rooms

  • Train event staff

Communicating your accessibility

Help visitors find you:

On your website

  • Create a dedicated accessibility page

  • Provide detailed accessibility information

  • Include photos of accessible features

  • Explain what you can and can't accommodate

  • Provide contact details for accessibility enquiries

In marketing

  • Use inclusive imagery showing people with disability

  • Highlight accessibility features

  • List in accessible tourism directories

  • Partner with disability organisations

  • Share accessibility improvements on social media

Being honest

  • Be accurate about your accessibility

  • Acknowledge limitations honestly

  • Explain what's being improved

  • Invite feedback and suggestions

  • Update information when things change

Recording accessibility improvements

Track your progress in Launchpad:

  • Go to Tourism for Good

  • Navigate to Actions

  • Create accessibility improvement actions

  • Track completion and impact

  • Add evidence of improvements

Evidence to collect

  • Before and after photos

  • Accessibility audit reports

  • Customer feedback

  • Staff training records

  • Equipment purchases

Resources and support

Australian resources

  • Get Skilled Access — accessibility training and resources

  • Accessible Tourism — industry guidance and directories

  • Travellers with Disabilities Australia — consumer advocacy

  • NDIA — National Disability Insurance Agency resources

  • Australian Human Rights Commission — disability discrimination guidance

Standards and guidelines

  • Australian Standards AS 1428 — design for access and mobility

  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) — digital accessibility

  • Disability Discrimination Act — legal requirements

Accessible tourism welcomes everyone — and that's good for business and community alike.

Did this answer your question?