A new report reveals how life for Queenslanders with Disabilities has changed over the last 12 months, showing more people had a plan to stay safe during disasters and cost of living pressures continued to escalate anxiety around housing.
Led by Griffith University, the Voice of Queenslanders with Disability Report 2025 is the third consecutive annual report driven by citizen scientists with lived experience of disability.
Delivered in partnership with Queenslanders with Disability Network and commissioned by the Queensland Government, it is the only Australian initiative collecting census data which measures the day-to-day living experience of residents with disability.
Lead Author, Griffith Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability and Hopkins Centre Research Fellow Dr Kelsey Chapman said the initiative aimed to remove barriers to access and produce equitable outcomes for a diverse Queensland.
“More than 700 people with disability shared their stories in 2025 and more than 1,700 people over the last three years,” Dr Chapman said.
“Transparency is critical to improving support, and the report provides a snapshot of what’s really happening in the lives of Queenslanders with disability, their families, and carers.
“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a meaningful legacy of inclusion, and through co-design with people with lived experience, we can address complex challenges and build responsive, respectful and effective systems.”
Key findings included:
Homes and communities:
71.1 per cent of respondents said they lived in a home that met their needs, leaving 28.9 per cent who said they lived in inappropriate places.
47.5 per cent of respondents felt they could go anywhere they wanted in Queensland, a significant increase from 42 per cent in 2023.
“Homes are becoming a luxury rather than a human right, with people having to leave their communities because they can’t afford to live there anymore”
Survey respondent.
Personal and community supports:
48.9 per cent of people with disability had all the paid support they needed in 2025, a large increase from 32.6 per cent in 2024.
Jobs and money:
Only 16.8 per cent of respondents agreed Queensland employers put people with disability in leadership roles, and this number remained consistent with the 2023 report.
In 2023, 56 per cent of respondents agreed they had a good job, but in 2025 only 32.8 percent agreed they had a good job.
Education and learning:
Many survey respondents said they faced barriers which made learning difficult including inaccessibility of physical and virtual learning spaces, high costs and lack of flexibility. Less people believed they could do courses and training if they wanted to.
“Supportive and understanding teachers makes life a lot easier”
Survey respondent.
Health and wellbeing:
The number of respondents who said they were healthy and had access to a good primary care doctor increased significantly.
80.2 per cent of respondents said they had a plan to stay safe during disasters which increased from 64 per cent in 2023.
Safety, rights and justice:
“Having intellectual disability makes it very very hard to even know when my safety, rights and access to justice is a problem. I am fully reliant on trustworthy people to help me.”
Survey respondent.
Community attitudes:
While most people with disability felt welcome in their communities, persistent negative stereotypes and ongoing misunderstandings about disability continued to pose challenges.
