Shaping Brisbane 2032 Through the Eyes of Paralympians

Above Image: [Left to right] Jamie Barkley, Stuart Harper, Patrick Ness, Dayna Crees, Sam McIntosh, Jaryd Clifford, Vanessa Low AOM, Andrew Noonan, Emma Townsend

The Paralympic Games have become one of the world’s most recognised sporting platforms. Research from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) shows that 80 percent of respondents are aware of the Paralympics, with only the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup enjoying higher recognition. This visibility makes the Games a powerful platform, driving social inclusion, shifting attitudes towards people with disability, elevating Paralympians as sporting heroes, and showcasing what a transformational sporting event the Paralympics is. 

With seven years until Brisbane hosts the Games, COX wanted to understand what an athletes’ first experience looks like for Paralympians.  

As part of COX’s ongoing Athlete’s Advisory Group Forum series, and in collaboration with design partners Hassell, we invited four Australian Paralympians to join us at the MCG: Dayna Crees, Jaryd Clifford, Sam McIntosh, and Vanessa Low OAM. Drawing on the collective experience of 29 Paralympic Games and World Championships, they generously shared their insights and gave us insider perspectives on what truly matters to them.  

Para-Athletes Advisory Group Forum co-hosted by COX & Hassell
Above Image: [Left to right] Emma Townsend, Andrew Noonan, Jamie Barkley, Stuart Harper, Patrick Ness, Dayna Crees, Vanessa Low AOM, Jaryd Clifford, Sam McIntosh.

At previous Games, conditions have often fallen short: bathrooms with steps leading to the toilet, warm-up tracks riddled with potholes, buses inaccessible to wheelchairs, and dining halls built in a giant valley. These challenges may seem small, but they directly affect wellbeing and performance. With new builds and thoughtful planning, Brisbane can address such issues from the outset, ensuring every space, from toilets to tracks to transport, is intuitive, safe, and fully accessible. 

This workshop was about uncovering those lived insights – real experiences of Paralympians navigating both the highs and lows of the Games. These are the themes that resonated most. 

Universal Design: From Obligation to Opportunity 

Universal Design is not just a checklist or an afterthought of ramps, lifts, or handrails. It is a philosophy and a human right. Its seven principles – equitable use, flexibility, simplicity, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and appropriate size and space – guide design that works for everyone. 

Vanessa sums it up beautifully: 

Applied to Games infrastructure, Universal Design transforms stadiums and villages from compliant facilities into inclusive, living ecosystems. From transport connections and wayfinding to digital interfaces and physical facilities, design choices shape not only performance, but how athletes feel – whether they are included, supported, and celebrated.

“For us as athletes, it’s about more than just enjoying the Olympic and Paralympic Villages or the stadium atmosphere. It’s about being able to perform at our best. That’s why we’re there – because it’s one of the greatest opportunities to do what we love and share it with the world,” Vanessa reflected.

The forum emphasised designing for a full ‘day-in-the-life’ of an athlete, not just moments in the stadium. From warm-up tracks to proximity to coaches, call rooms, village layouts, recovery spaces, post-competition routines, acoustics, lighting, and colour schemes, each detail contributes to performance and wellbeing. Universal Design is not just about accessibility; it’s about anticipating needs, reducing effort, and enhancing the overall athlete experience.

Above Image: [Left to right] Dayna Crees, Vanessa Low AOM, Jaryd Clifford, Sam McIntosh.

Transport: The Hidden Performance Factor 

Transport emerged as a critical factor. For athletes with disability, arriving at a venue is not just about punctuality, it is equally about conserving energy to compete at their best. 

“The most nervous I am on the day is when I’m transferred on transport,” explained Jaryd. 

“The one thing you need to be able to do is have a plannable day… You need to be able to rely on it… if it’s 30 minutes, it’s 30 minutes. But it all adds up with distances between venues,” said Vanessa.  

“I can control everything else. What I eat, when I sleep… But as soon as it comes to transport, it’s out of my control. You can’t prepare that,” Dayna added. 

Thoughtful transport planning that ensures seamless movement between accommodation, warm-up areas, call rooms, and competition venues, is as important as the competition facilities themselves. 

Atmosphere: Energy, Call Rooms, and Connection 

Atmosphere is not accidental. It is strategically orchestrated by having full venues, energising acoustics, and spaces that allow athletes to connect with fans.  

“Fill the stadium, fill it, fill the stadium,” Dayna reiterated. 

Crowds create energy that lifts performance. Acoustics, including in the call room, can act as both a performance enhancer and a potential barrier. For some, the sounds and vibrations provide essential adrenaline; for others, they can be overwhelming. Flexible acoustic design will therefore be critical for Brisbane. 

An often overlooked, but important consideration are opportunities for athlete–fan connections. These moments can inspire the next generation and ensure athletes’ names are remembered long after the Games. “Some structured way for athletes who have finished competing to be able to interact with fans… I think it leaves a massive legacy. I remember all the times as a kid when an athlete came to our school… It would leave a legacy in people’s minds if the athletes that they just watched could spend time with them,” Jaryd reflected. 

“The more access to athletes, especially para-athletes, would be awesome. I think back in Sydney, Louise Sauvage became kind of a household name… We could have that legacy of para-athletes that stole the spotlight, that the nation fell in love with instead of just once every generation. There’s more room out there for more para-athlete’s names,” Sam highlighted.  

Above Image: [Left to right] Vanessa Low AOM, Emma Townsend, Sam McIntosh, Jaryd Clifford, Andrew Noonan.

Representation: Shaping Perceptions  

The Paralympics have a unique power to transform societal attitudes. Audiences unfamiliar with the Games often report the greatest positive shifts, improving perceptions of Paralympians and strengthening support for inclusivity. 

Athletes emphasised the importance of celebrating difference while showcasing Paralympic sport on its own terms. “We want to be seen as Paralympians because we’re really proud to be Paralympians.” Vanessa said. 

Inclusivity should not dilute identity. Well-intentioned labels like ‘Olympian’ or ‘Para-Olympian’ can blur the distinction that gives the Paralympics its strength. “Understanding we’re the same sport and that we have the same quality of athlete, but we’re also different – is a really good thing,” Vanessa reflected. 

London 2012 was seen as a stand-out in successfully blending the languages of ‘Olympics’ and ‘Paralympics’. “I think it honestly changed my perspective of where we’re sitting within a sport, because the first thing I saw when I stepped off the plane was ‘Meet the superhumans’ and they really reframed it,” Vanessa said. Sam added, “[In London] the billboards framed the Olympics as the warmup event for the Paralympics. The Paralympics has socially always been seen as secondary compared to the Olympics, it’s like the big golden child. So, it was kind of awesome for them to reframe that [in London] and treat the Paralympics as the big star.” 

Designing venues that centre the athlete experience reinforces these shifts. Brisbane 2032 should influence how global audiences understand and celebrate disability while ensuring Paralympians receive equal visibility and recognition. 

Setting a New Standard for the ‘Athletes’ Games’ 

For Brisbane 2032, the aspiration is clear: to deliver the ‘Athletes’ Games’. 

Jaryd describes it best, “It is the Athletes’ Games, but also the People’s Games, because the power, particularly with the Paralympics, is in what people carry with them for the rest of their lives. It’s that two-week window into how the world should be and could be.”  

Universal Design ensures everyone benefits: athletes, spectators, children, families, and the wider community. It transforms venues into accessible, inspiring, and lasting legacies. COX has long held that Universal Design is an imperative, an opportunity, and a human right. Our work on venues such as Allianz Stadium, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, and the Anna Meares Velodrome demonstrates how inclusive design principles create equitable, flexible, and inspiring spaces. 

Brisbane 2032 presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embed these principles, from the Athletes’ Village to stadiums, transport networks to fan experiences, and from call rooms to competition venues. By centring athletes, designing for a ‘day-in-their-lives’, and prioritising accessibility and connection, Brisbane can deliver an Athletes’ Games that will be remembered, and perhaps even celebrated as the ‘best Games ever’.