Is Queensland Ready for the 2032 Paralympics?
Not yet, on the evidence of the first independent audit. The Games Readiness report, released on 17 September 2026 by Queenslanders with Disability Network and the consultancy Urbis, phoned 170 hotels across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns and found about 2 per cent of rooms in Brisbane and Cairns are accessible, and about 1 per cent on the Gold Coast. It also found at least four Games venues in Greater Brisbane can't be reached by public transport at all. Asked whether the state was ready to host the Games, Urbis associate director Kali Marnane said the polite answer was "not quite": ready in parts, but not as a system. The Paralympics open on 24 August 2032, with roughly 3.4 million tickets expected. Six years is enough time to fix a hotel stock. It is not obviously enough time to fix a city.
TL;DR
- Accessible hotel rooms: about 2 per cent in Brisbane and Cairns, about 1 per cent on the Gold Coast (QDN and Urbis, 17 September 2026).
- The audit covered 170 of more than 750 hotels, about 22 per cent of the market, over six months.
- At least four Greater Brisbane venues have no public transport link. 56 per cent of Brisbane hotels surveyed can reach five or more venues within an hour.
- One in five trips in Australia is taken by someone with a disability or an access need.
- The Deputy Premier's answer: "We promised a Games for all Queenslanders."
What did the audit actually find?
Three things. Accessible rooms are scarce: 2 per cent in Brisbane and Cairns, 1 per cent on the Gold Coast. They are hard to find, because booking listings rarely say what a room actually provides. And they mostly serve one kind of disability, with features designed for wheelchair users and little for anyone else.
The method was simple. Researchers rang each of the 170 hotels and asked how many accessible rooms it had, what features they included and where in the building they were. Marnane said she was surprised by the result, given that one in five trips in Australia is taken by a traveller with a disability or an accessibility need. "That really demonstrates that there's a big mismatch between what we have and what we need."
| City | Accessible rooms (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Brisbane | 2 per cent |
| Cairns | 2 per cent |
| Gold Coast | 1 per cent |
Source: Games Readiness report, QDN and Urbis, as reported by ABC News, 17 September 2026.
What about getting to the venues?
The report mapped public transport between the hotels it surveyed and the proposed Games venues. About 56 per cent of Brisbane providers could reach five or more venues within an hour. At least four venues in Greater Brisbane could not be reached by public transport at all, and will need network upgrades, extra services or event-specific transport.
The report doesn't name the four in the ABC's account, and the full document wasn't online when this was written. We've asked for it. The finding lands on top of a number that hasn't been updated in four years: in 2022 the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner said 40 per cent of South East Queensland railway stations were still stairs-only. Nobody has published a newer figure. The transport commitments in the state's 2032 Delivery Plan are real, but they're mostly for new lines. The old network is where the stairs are.
What did the government and the hotels say?
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said accessibility was an important part of Games planning and that the government was streamlining approvals for new homes and hotels. Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Bernie Hogan said the industry wasn't "awake" to accessible tourism even two or three years ago, that new builds now carry updated standards, and that "you don't need 50 per cent of the hotel rooms to be accessible".
Hogan also conceded the wider point: if the Games were held today there would be a room shortfall of any kind, accessible or not. That's the same problem as our hotel shortage story, where the pipeline delivers about a quarter of the 14,700 rooms the state says it needs. Every new hotel built to current code adds accessible rooms. The catch is that almost none are being built.
QDN chief executive Michelle Moss said the building blocks were there and the disability community was ready to work with hotels and transport operators. Her line for it: "nothing about us without us."
What does this mean if you're planning a trip?
Book earlier than everyone else, and phone the hotel. Accessible rooms are a fraction of a stock that is already short, and the report says listings don't reliably describe what they offer. Nothing is bookable for 2032 yet; when the window opens, likely 2030 or 2031, accessible rooms will go first.
Brisbane's tourism agency keeps a list of accessible hotels at visit.brisbane.qld.au. Use it as a starting point, not a guarantee, and ask about the specific features you need. If you're in this position and willing to share what you find, we're building a reader panel to track it: have your say.
The full Games Readiness report and the names of the four unconnected venues. A current stairs-only station count for South East Queensland. And whether the 2 per cent figure moves by the next audit. We'll update this page when any of those land.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Games Readiness report?
A six-month audit of hotel and transport accessibility in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns, released on 17 September 2026 by Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and the consultancy Urbis. Researchers phoned 170 of the more than 750 hotels in the three cities, about 22 per cent of the market, and asked each how many accessible rooms it had, what features they offered and where they were.
How many hotel rooms in Brisbane are accessible?
About 2 per cent, according to the report. Cairns was also about 2 per cent and the Gold Coast about 1 per cent. Accessible rooms were hard to identify when booking, and most features were designed only for wheelchair users.
Can you reach every Brisbane 2032 venue by public transport?
Not yet. At least four venues in Greater Brisbane could not be reached by public transport, and will need network upgrades, extra services or event-specific transport. About 56 per cent of Brisbane accommodation providers surveyed could reach five or more venues within an hour.
What did the Queensland Government say about the report?
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said accessibility was an important part of the government's planning and repeated the promise of a Games for all Queenslanders. He said the government was streamlining approvals and removing red tape for new homes and hotel accommodation.
When are the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics?
24 August to 5 September 2032, opening and closing at the new stadium at Victoria Park. They are the second Summer Paralympics held in Australia, after Sydney 2000. Roughly 3.4 million Paralympic tickets are expected. Full guide: Brisbane 2032 Paralympics: dates, sports and venues.
Where can I find an accessible hotel in Brisbane now?
Brisbane Economic Development Agency publishes a list at visit.brisbane.qld.au. The report's advice is to phone the hotel and ask for the specific features you need, because listings rarely say which type of accessibility a room provides.
Is BRIS2032 affiliated with the Paralympics?
No. BRIS2032 is independent, sourced coverage of the Brisbane 2032 Games and is not affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee, Paralympics Australia or the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee.
Sources. ABC News, Sarah Richards, 17 September 2026, reporting the Games Readiness report by Queenslanders with Disability Network and Urbis. All percentages, the hotel sample, the venue-connectivity findings and the quotes from Kali Marnane, Jarrod Bleijie, Bernie Hogan and Michelle Moss are from that report. The 2022 stairs-only station figure is from Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall, reported in November 2022.
More: the Paralympics guide · the hotel shortage · when you can book · venues
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