Physical access is both a practical and emotional dimension of how people with disability experience the Gallery. It encompasses the spaces in which visitors move, rest and engage, as well as the feelings these environments evoke — including safety, comfort, welcome and belonging.

Feedback gathered through the Impact Study highlighted visitors’ strong appreciation for the Gallery’s calm atmosphere, spacious architecture and thoughtful design features. At the same time, it identified opportunities to further enhance comfort and accessibility, including navigation and wayfinding, lighting, signage and seating, inaccessible exhibition elements, and the availability of tactile and interactive experiences, and sensory-friendly spaces.

The following actions set out a coordinated approach to embedding accessible design principles and improving our physical environments, ensuring that all visitors enjoy equitable access across QAGOMA.

1. Embed accessible principles into exhibition design, proposals, reporting and evaluation.
   • Establish QAGOMA benchmarks for best-practice accessible design across exhibitions, programs and interstitial spaces by developing a design checklist to determine project compliance.
   • Develop a procurement matrix to navigate exhibition and artwork design planning where accessible design requirements cannot be met, including clear documentation for exemptions.
   • Support artists to apply accessible and inclusive design standards in their work, ensuring exhibition proposals align with this DIAP. • Include accessibility outcomes in exhibition reporting.
   • Establish mechanisms to gain feedback from people with lived experience of disability to inform future exhibition planning.
2. Establish quiet spaces during exhibitions, programs and events.
   • Research and benchmark quiet spaces in comparable cultural institutions to inform improvements and ensure alignment with current access and inclusion standards.
   • Assess opportunities for quiet spaces during the development of exhibitions, programs and events.
   • Consult with neurodivergent visitors and people with disability to inform the design and locations of quiet spaces.
   • Develop a schedule for the consistent implementation of quiet spaces during low-sensory viewings, festivals and exhibitions to ensure predictable and inclusive experiences at QAGOMA.
   • Incorporate designated quiet spaces as part of all low sensory viewings and major festivals or events.
   • Review and regularly evaluate quiet spaces
3. Develop tactile, multisensory and interactive experiences to feature in exhibitions and Collection displays.
   • Research and benchmark how other cultural institutions implement tactile and multisensory engagement, including multimodal interpretation tools.
   • Update exhibition scoping documents to include provision for non-visual and accessible engagement elements, including tactile, auditory, olfactory, multimodal or interactive experiences, to support audiences of all abilities.
   • Identify opportunities for tactile and/or interactive engagement with Collection artworks on permanent display.
   • Design and produce tactile materials for Collection artworks on permanent display.
   • Consult and conduct user testing with people with disability to ensure tactile elements are functional and inclusive.
   • Monitor wear, accessibility and the potential for future reuse, touring or loan of tactile elements on display.
4. Enhance the visitor experience by improving accessibility in non-exhibition spaces.
   • Highlight accessible building features more prominently across all public-facing materials to support visitation by people with disability.
   • Highlight accessible event options more prominently in our promotional material for events to encourage engagement and support inclusive event planning.
   • Assess and identify seating needs to accommodate a broad range of users, considering accessibility requirements, heritage protocols and existing furniture guidelines, and identify potential funding sources to support implementation.
   • Design or procure new seating that meets identified needs, subject to compliance with heritage restrictions and protocols, including QAG/Gibson furniture, APAF–AQ BOA requirements.
   • Increase seating across interstitial spaces within QAGOMA.
   • Review existing signage to identify gaps in visibility, readability and accessibility.
   • Update, augment or replace signage, prioritising areas that will have the greatest impact.

Digital access affects how people plan, experience and extend their engagement with the Gallery before, during and beyond a visit. It encompasses the design, development and delivery of digital content, platforms and services that are usable by all people, including those with disability, and relies on embedding accessibility standards, inclusive practices and user testing throughout digital projects.

Feedback from our Impact Study indicated that our digital platforms are largely accessible and valued for features such as our ‘What to Expect’ guides. The study also identified opportunities to improve consistency and depth across digital content, including the accessibility of PDFs, the provision of alt text (image descriptions), more effective use of social media and clearer, more detailed exhibition information to support visit planning.

1. Improve, expand and maintain accessible pre-visit information.
   • Develop a coordinated approach to delivering comprehensive and accessible pre-visit information, including expanded ‘What to Expect’ content, sensory maps, visual previews or walkthroughs, virtual tours and information on accessible features and amenities.
   • Publish accessible pre-visit information on the QAGOMA website for all current and upcoming exhibitions and programs.
   • Establish a process for the regular review and updating of pre-visit information, in consultation with people with lived experience of disability to ensure accuracy and relevance.
2. Produce accessible digital content and experiences for selected on-and off-site engagement.
   • Benchmark audio descriptions across leading cultural institutions nationally and internationally.
   • Consolidate findings into a review that informs future digital content development.
   • Develop accessible audio descriptions to support engagement with artworks and exhibitions across QAG and GOMA.
   • Consult with people with disability throughout design and testing phases and integrate feedback.
   • Establish a review schedule to ensure content remains current and aligned with building layout changes, exhibition changeovers and touring exhibition schedules.
3. Use social and promotional media to build audience and community engagement.
   • Develop a social media calendar that highlights accessible programs and events, including key disability-related dates and QAGOMA access initiatives.
   • Promote accessible features and initiatives through the website and broader marketing channels, including eDMs, social media, partner organisations, and disability advocacy and community networks.
   • Feature content created with or by people with disability, such as artist interviews and community stories, across digital platforms.
   • Monitor and evaluate engagement with accessible content, including interaction and audience feedback.
4. Facilitate website accessibility to WCAG 2.1 AA standard.
   • Assess the QAGOMA website against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA criteria and prioritise issues based on severity and user impact, including keyboard and screen reader compatibility, logical page structure, clear pathways to essential accessibility information, use of plain language, accessible search functionality, and the availability of alternate formats for downloadable content.
   • Facilitate content review sessions with users who have lived experience of disability to inform website accessibility improvements.
   • Develop and implement a prioritised plan with QAGOMA to address identified accessibility issues within agreed timeframes, in collaboration with relevant QAGOMA content teams.
   • Regularly test webpages against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria to monitor compliance and identify emerging issues.
   • Conduct ongoing user testing with people with disability to ensure improvements to the QAGOMA website support physical access needs

For people with disability, meaningful representation and engagement are central to fostering inclusion and human connection in cultural experiences. This focus area encompasses the use of accessible design principles in exhibitions and programs, alongside active consultation with people who have lived experience of disability, to ensure that the Gallery’s practices reflect the diverse communities it serves as the state’s leading visual arts institution.

Feedback from visitors celebrated the empathy, professionalism and dedication of QAGOMA staff, as well as the value of programs designed with accessibility at their core. The Impact Study highlighted that sustainable representation and engagement require collective responsibility strengthened through authenticity, co-designed experiences and ongoing community consultation.

While QAGOMA is widely regarded as dynamic, engaging and inclusive, opportunities to further enhance representation and engagement in the Gallery’s exhibitions and programming have been identified. Visitors and artists alike have requested more tactile elements, Auslan interpretation and clearer communication about available access features. There is also strong interest in deeper collaboration with local communities and artists with disability to co-develop programs and experiences.

1. Consolidate and build on initiatives that support agency and self-determination for visitors with disability.
   • Review current access programs and initiatives to identify gaps in representation and opportunities to enhance their delivery.
   • Use review findings to inform future program design, expand reach and identify opportunities for deeper and more meaningful inclusion.
   • Maintain and strengthen a regular schedule of accessible tours and programs to support ongoing participation by people with disability in engaging with art at QAGOMA.
   • Strengthen engagement with visitors with non-visible disability by retaining membership of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program and increasing awareness through targeted communications and marketing.
   • Expand the availability and variety of sensory kits and fidget tools, with regular updates informed by visitor feedback and evolving best practices.
   • Research emerging assisted listening technologies and prepare recommendations for implementation, ensuring devices meet the needs of diverse users and enhance accessibility across public and program spaces.
   • Implement selected assisted listening technologies, ensuring appropriate installation, staff training and user support processes are in place.
   • Establish a consistent schedule of low-sensory viewings to provide predictable and inclusive experiences that support comfort, belonging and choice for neurodivergent visitors and others who benefit from reduced sensory environments.
2. Support the creative agency and artistic development of people with disability.
   • Build and sustain relationships with disability-led arts organisations and advocacy groups to support ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange.
   • Support artists with disability by connecting them to industry networks, fostering participation in artistic community events and programs, and offering guidance to advance their artistic development and career progression.
   • Investigate best-practice Deaf-led cultural programs in galleries and museums, identifying effective models and opportunities for adaptation.
   • Partner with Deaf organisations, educators and community members to co-design Auslan-interpreted tours that centre Deaf culture and language.
   • Deliver a pilot series of Deaf-led or Deaf-educator tours, supported by staff training and accessible promotion across community and Gallery networks.
   • Gather feedback from participants and partners, evaluate program impact, and refine the approach to ensure ongoing relevance, quality and potential expansion.
3. Re-establish an Accessibility and Inclusion Advisory Group to inform DIAP delivery.
   • Define the purpose and scope of the group, along with inclusive and representative criteria for membership.
   • Appoint a staff liaison to support meetings ensure recommendations are integrated into DIAP implementation; establish accessible meeting structures and allocate appropriate resources, including funding, administrative support, accessibility tools and honorariums.
   • Recruit and appoint members, ensuring representation of people with diverse lived experiences.
   • Establish and maintain a regular meeting cycle, incorporating accessible formats, materials and participation options.
   • Monitor feedback from the group and review its purpose, scope and effectiveness.
4. Foster a culture of welcome and non-judgment.
   • Use affirming, descriptive language that avoids deficit-based framing in all communications with or about people with disability.
   • Ensure signage and interpretive materials affirm and normalise different ways of responding to and engaging with art.
   • Maintain and strengthen accessible practices across marketing, communication, signage and interpretation, using current processes to inform the ongoing development of QAGOMA’s Interpretation Policy.
5. Cultivate and strengthen meaningful relationships that advance the social value of accessibility at QAGOMA.
   • Foster knowledge-sharing with partner organisations and Arts Queensland to exchange research, ideas and innovations in accessibility.
   • Collaborate across Business Development, the QAGOMA Foundation and relevant teams to identify, prioritise and articulate accessibility and inclusion initiatives, including associated funding needs.
   • Work with partner organisations to secure resources, sponsorship or funding for initiatives that advance accessibility and inclusion at the Gallery, including sensory resources, quiet or calm spaces, Deaf-led tours, September Access Month and other strategic programming opportunities.
   • Develop dedicated accessibility-focused giving opportunities to engage philanthropic partners to support and promote accessibility initiatives including Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program and upgrading assisted listening technology.

Visitors consistently describe staff across QAGOMA as warm, helpful and committed to inclusion, reflecting a strong organisational culture of respect and belonging. The Gallery’s procedures support inclusive practices across recruitment, onboarding and day-to-day operations, and staff are encouraged to disclose access needs in an environment characterised by understanding and practical support.

Staff have also identified opportunities to strengthen inclusive and accessible practices across the organisation, including the need for more consistent training, clearer procedures and greater visibility of lived experience of disability within the organisation. We recognise that sustaining accessible employment and training relies on a collective commitment from QAGOMA staff at all levels, alongside an ongoing focus on equity and inclusion.

Staff-led initiatives, responsive feedback loops and strong leadership commitment are already shaping the Gallery’s future, helping QAGOMA better reflect the needs of both employees and visitors. Continued investment in training, policy integration and strategic leadership will strengthen the Gallery’s capacity to embed and advance inclusive practices

1. Review and strengthen recruitment processes and employment opportunities for people with disability.
   • Review current recruitment processes to identify barriers for the recruitment of people with disability.
   • Consult with staff with lived experience of disability and disability advocacy organisations to collect feedback on recruitment processes.
   • Provide training and guidance to hiring managers to ensure accessibility and inclusion are embedded in all stages of the selection process, including interview formats, assessment methods, job advertisements and candidate communication.
   • Include an accessible link to the DIAP in recruitment advertisements and application materials.
   • Explore partnerships with disability employment services and advocacy organisations for employee placements, internships and work experience opportunities.
2. Build accessibility into the Gallery’s onboarding processes and resources.
   • Develop a central intranet hub with clear information on workplace accessibility, including links to relevant training, guidance on reasonable adjustments, inclusive practices and available supports for staff.
   • Review and update the staff induction checklist to ensure accessibility and inclusion are embedded throughout the onboarding process, including information on workplace adjustments, inclusive practices and available supports.
   • Provide targeted training for managers to support staff with the implementation of reasonable adjustments and to foster inclusive workplace environments.
   • Develop flexible and supported onboarding options, such as one-on-one inductions, flexible completion times, accessible formats, and peer mentors, disability champions or access allies.
   • Monitor and continuously improve the onboarding experience in consultation with staff with lived experience of disability.
3. Develop targeted training to support staff, volunteers and visitors.
   • Assess accessibility and inclusion needs across front-of house and back-of-house staff roles.
   • Consult with people with lived experience of disability and/or disability advocacy organisations to identify gaps in staff training.
   • Create or source online resources on accessibility and inclusion for ongoing reference and learning.
   • Develop accessibility training that covers inclusive communication, invisible disability, trauma-informed customer service, barriers experienced by people with disability, universal design, and inclusive interpretation.

The ideas and stories contributed by people with disability have shaped our Disability Inclusion Action Plan and continue to inform its implementation as we work towards meaningful and lasting change. Listen to stories from some of our regular visitors to hear how they engage with and access art at QAGOMA.