Accessible holiday planning: checking accommodation and support
Our Guide to Accessible Holidays
By Clickability · Originally published 20 November 2017
Ask for access details that answer your actual questions
Check entrance routes, bathroom layout, equipment dimensions, bed and hoist arrangements, transport and assistance responsibilities. Request current photographs or specifications when they would help. A website accessibility filter is a starting point, not confirmation that the room suits you.
Get a written cost breakdown and cancellation terms. Verify current availability and registration where required, then check the proposed support against your plan. Decide what you want to do and where flexibility or rest will be useful.
Original article and dated context
If you’ve secured your NDIS funding (and even if you haven’t…), you might be craving that accessible holiday. It’s time to unwind, right? You deserve it!
However, as some of our blog contributors like Susie Twydell have discovered, it’s not always an easy task to find out what’s accessible. As a wheelchair user, I know this all too well.
Don’t even mention the number of times I’ve been told somewhere is accessible, only to find giant big steps into the room or the shower. Steps aren’t so great for wheels, y’know?
I also remember a time when the only holiday I could have was called ‘respite’. As much as I liked it, I wanted _actual _holidays. The beach, the hinterland, the anywhere-but-here.
Thankfully, there are more and more accessible holiday destinations popping up – and more and more ways of finding them. To save you time, we’ve compiled a cheat sheet for all your accessible holiday needs.
1. What’s accessible?
We already have a number of listings on our website that have fully accessible accommodation, including Great Ocean Stays, Ripples n Tonic, and Lakeside Villas at Crittenden Estate. From the beach to the farm, these listings offer large spacious rooms and accessible bathrooms . (I know the feeling…)
Each also has a range of fun, accessible activities for you to take part in, including joy flights, wine tasting, fishing and more. For the beachgoers, Great Ocean Stays and Ripples n Tonic can also organise beach wheelchairs for your use.
For further information on each, including provided equipment, please visit the listings above. (And once you’ve holidayed there, be sure to flick a review towards the listing, obviously.)
2. Where can I get support for my travels?
It’s one of the added dilemmas when traveling with a disability: how to get the support you need, in a place far, far away from home? I know it’s a common issue when I travel, even just an hour’s drive north to my go-to holiday destination.
Services like ClubMates Travel or Aspire Supported Holidays offer holidays to suit your needs, with specialised support structures. If you’ve got a holiday in mind, they’ll talk you through it and help make it possible. They’re both registered NDIS providers. (Again, secured your NDIS funding yet?)
For the adventurous (or even just the nature-loving) among us, you could also consider People Outdoors, which runs camps for NDIS participants with 1:3 support needs. Yes, that means your support is covered! #winning They’re also a registered NDIS provider.
[Clickability update, October 2026:
The historical program description does not guarantee your funding. Check current support rules and distinguish ordinary holiday costs from eligible disability assistance. Short-term respite guidance has a separate purpose and criteria.
]
3. Where else can I look to see what’s accessible?
It’s the million dollar question! Beyond Clickability’s growing number of listings, you could look at a number of sites including Susie Twydell’s Wheelchair World for travel reviews and resources. Most sites like TripAdvisor also allow you to check ‘wheelchair access’ – for Trip Advisor, it’s under ‘amenities’ on the left-hand side.
And keep an eye out on what Google gets up to, as Maps launches a new initiative that will update its locations with new, detailed information about access. Cheers, Google!
4. So, get booking and…
As more places become accessible and as it becomes easier to find out where those places are, you no longer have to compromise and choose that standard holiday. The world’s your oyster. Get booking now! (And be sure to take lots of photos and tell us all about your adventures!)
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Agree the support plan before the booking
Clarify who provides personal assistance, what equipment is available and what happens if arrangements change. Do not assume a package ratio tells you the assistance the person will actually receive. Confirm an alternative for access problems and keep the participant involved in the decisions.
Questions readers ask
Does a holiday listing prove NDIS funding?
No. Check the actual support and current criteria. Official guidance
Find support for a holiday you want to plan
Tell Clickability the practical assistance you need. Compare support workers and agree access, equipment and responsibilities before travelling.
