Five truths about accessible tourism
December 9, 2025
Belinda is a proud disabled woman with Cerebral Palsy, a former athlete and tourism researcher who created The Access Journey to share lived-experience travel stories and help make tourism more accessible and inclusive.
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I am a proud disabled person. I have Cerebral Palsy, which means I have a speech impairment and I use a wheelchair. These present their own challenges, but they have also led to incredible opportunities and a path of advocacy, which has become a significant part of my work. My motto in life has always been “where there is a will, there is a way.” I believe the same applies to accessibility and inclusion. I know that accessibility and inclusion can sometimes feel like a challenge or even a fight, but I also know there is always a way to make them possible. This is why I founded The Access Journey (TAJ).
My passion for improving accessibility and inclusivity for the one in six Australians who live with a disability was ignited through my experiences travelling the world as an athlete with a disability representing Australia. Following my retirement, I really wanted to explore how the tourism industry worked. I graduated from the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2019 with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Tourism, Leisure and Event Management and Marketing. My academic excellence, commitment to disability advocacy, and extensive volunteer work earned me the university’s Chancellor’s Medal. In 2023, I returned to study and pursued an honours research degree and graduated in 2024 with my research into accessible tourism. My study explored the barriers, motivations, and opportunities involved in making adventure tourism accessible and inclusive, focusing on the perspectives of adventure tourism operators.
Years as an athlete built resilience and creative problem solving.
Tourism and marketing degrees plus honours research in accessible tourism.
I regularly speak and write about accessibility and inclusion across the tourism industry.
Connecting disabled travellers and tourism operators through practical, shared solutions.
I have always been passionate about travel and adventure. Exploring new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things has brought me so much joy. Through my own journeys, I’ve seen the great possibilities of accessible experiences. But I have also faced barriers that made travel frustrating, exhausting, or even impossible. After experiencing these barriers firsthand, I realised that I had the ability to do something about it for others whose daily lives are severely limited by problems that can be easily solved.
My experience and research inspired me to start The Access Journey. It’s an enterprise where I share my research and lived experience, highlight the enormous commercial potential of accessible tourism, and support business, industry and government looking to improve accessibility.
The reason why access matters is not just about doing the right thing; it’s about people and our common humanity. I’m a consumer, just like everyone else, who wants to get out with my family and friends and live. So do 1 in 6 Australians lives with a disability, making this an enormous market with growing demand.
Accessibility is an exciting opportunity. When tourism operators create accessible experiences, they’re not just meeting a requirement; they’re attracting a dedicated and loyal customer base.
The impact of accessible tourism goes beyond the tourists to the wider society such as Australia’s rapidly aging population, as well as the many benefits from new job opportunities, more tax revenue and an accessible environment that will make us all proud.
Just a friendly disclaimer, the stories and tips I share on my blog are based on my lived experience with Cerebral Palsy and using a wheelchair. I don’t speak for all disabled people, and everyone’s access needs and preferences vary. I hope my perspective helps, but please take what resonates for you.
