Canberra is is Australia’s national capital, and often referred to as the Bush capital because of the abundance of nature in close proximity to the city.
Although not as flashy as other capital cities, Canberra is a great place to visit for the huge number of national and cultural institutions and experiences, most of which are suitable for people with all kinds of accessibility needs. Canberra is generally accessible for people with disability and the city is very family-friendly and inclusive, making it a great accessible tourism destination.
There are so many things to do in Canberra, and choices will depend on preferences for nature, national institutions, cultural experiences, or adventure. Wheelchair accessibility is quite straightforward unless otherwise noted, and many locations have wheelchairs or scooters for loan to visitors.
Pronounced “Get-About-Able”, a social enterprise focused on improving travel and leisure options for people with disabilities. All profits are re-invested to empower people with disabilities to participate in travel and leisure activities, and to help the travel and leisure sector be more inclusive for people with disabilities.
We empower the 20% of the population with mobility, vision, hearing and other assistance needs, their families, friends and supporters to find and share information about accessible travel and leisure activities around the world.
Getaboutable.com offers a unique platform to promote inclusive businesses around the globe while encouraging and supporting them to tap into the ‘Purple Dollar’. It is a powerful and useful tool to connect the inclusive travel and leisure sector with increasing demand from people with disabilities who don’t know what is accessible in any given location, not to mention how to organise it.
Public transport (buses and trams), including Canberra’s hop-on hop-off tourism circuit, are wheelchair accessible and have both visual and auditory stop information. Unfortunately, Canberra’s public transport doesn’t go to some big tourist draw cards such as the Mount Ainslie lookout, Telstra Tower, the National Zoo and Aquarium, the Arboretum and attractions along the Cotter Road such as Mount Stromlo Observatory and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
There is a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Service (WATS) that participates in the Taxi Subsidy Scheme, including accepting interstate vouchers.
I use support workers from HireUp and I’ve used the HireUp platform to book support workers in other cities so I’m sure the same could be done for people needing support when visiting Canberra. Mobility Matters and Total Mobility rent and repair (as well as sell) mobility equipment.
Accommodation options in the area: Mercure Hotel, Quest Canberra City Walk, Crowne Plaza Hotel
Anzac Parade is the National Capital's major commemorative way. Walk the length of the parade past memorials dedicated to Australian and New Zealand service people who've fought and died in war.
The red gravel central strip of this visually powerful landmark was originally made from crushed Canberra house bricks, chosen, in part, to echo the crunch made by military boots during a parade.
Anzac Parade's dark eucalypt 'walls' are created by Victorian Blue Gum. Central planter boxes are sewn with native New Zealand Hebe 'Otari Delight' to symbolise the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps connection.
Bringing together a world-class museum, shrine and research centre, the war memorial tells the stories of men and women who have served, and continue to serve our nation in conflict, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. Through exhibitions, artworks, large technology objects and personal records, it shares personal experiences of military service.
As the Memorial embarks on the expansion and modernisation of our galleries, we will be telling the continuing story of Australia’s contribution to a better world. In doing so, we will connect the spirit of our past, present and future for generations to come.
Free entry.
For picture-perfect views of Canberra, you can’t go past a visit to Mount Ainslie.
Walk, cycle or drive to the lookout and enjoy the impressive scenery, lovely at all times but a particular treat at sunrise and sunset. Take in Lake Burley Griffin and many of Canberra's national attractions, framed by picturesque mountain ranges. A hotspot for photographers, the vista is complemented by the abundance of native birds and wildlife.
Note: the path up to Mount Ainslie is not wheelchair accessible, but there is a drive you can take to get to the viewpoint.
Canberra ACT, Australia 
pay as you go
