Advocacy in Action
At Ekka 2026, the team connected with the community through fun and accessible activities, including Braille, touch and feel challenges and the popular blindfolded bag toss.
A special thank you to Clarissa, who joined the Advocacy Activation for the first time. As a full-time professional, Clarissa gives her not-so-spare time to volunteer with Guide Dogs Queensland, bringing her skills, kindness and enthusiasm to support our community. We are incredibly grateful to Clarissa and to all Guide Dogs Queensland volunteers who generously give their time. Brent and Clarissa entertained the crowd with their fun, skills and engagement.
Our advocacy work is also delivering practical outcomes. Following concerns raised by the community, advocacy with transport providers resulted in changes to ferry and bus practices around the muzzling of Guide Dogs, helping ensure requirements are consistent with Queensland legislation and the rights of Guide Dog handlers.
In Noosa, advocacy also addressed concerns about restaurants requesting personal information and identification from Guide Dog handlers. Following engagement with Council and businesses, the practice was confirmed as unnecessary and brought into line with relevant State and National legislation and Human Rights obligations.
These outcomes demonstrate advocacy in action: listening to our community, identifying barriers, using evidence, engaging with decision makers and achieving practical change.
Making the Census More Accessible
Guide Dogs Queensland’s Advocacy and Access team was consulted to make the census for people who have low vision or blindness more accessible 2026 Census.
This census was accessible in various formats, including Braille, large print and audio, with accessible forms available to support people to participate independently. We hope to be included in the process going forward to improve outcomes. Access to information in formats that work for individuals is an important part of ensuring everyone can participate fully in community life.
Bridging the Gap to 2032: Airport to Arena
Following the successful completion of the Airport to Arena Accessibility Assessment as part of Guide Dogs Queensland’s Bridging the Gap to 2032 campaign, the Advocacy & Access Team, Ashleigh Readett has now completed distribution of individual Accessibility Report Cards to participating stakeholders.
The report cards take a positive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach. They recognise existing achievements while identifying opportunities to improve accessibility for people living with low vision or blindness.
Rather than focusing solely on compliance, the report cards highlight good practice, capture lived-experience observations and provide practical recommendations aligned with universal design principles and the long-term vision of a more accessible Queensland by 2032.
Each report card included:
- Accessibility findings identified during the Airport to Arena assessment
- Feedback from participants, Guide Dogs Queensland clients and staff
- Photographic evidence documenting identified accessibility barriers
- Practical and achievable recommendations for improvement
The Airport to Arena project demonstrates how lived experience, evidence and collaboration can help identify barriers and support practical solutions as Queensland works towards a more accessible 2032.
Guide Dogs Queensland is proud to continue advocating for greater accessibility, inclusion and independence for people who are blind or have low vision across Queensland.
CAT 1 team have drafted their first submission ready for Council in relation to E-Bikes and E-Scooters. We continue to work towards an accessible future and advocate for and along side our community.