Accessibility Workshop : Meet the Presenter

Ryan is an entrepreneur, a qualified Access Consultant and tourism professional living with a disability.

His passion for accessible travel was ignited in 2010 when, on his first solo trip in a wheelchair – to New York – he came to understand the depth of challenges faced by many visitors. He formed The Access Agency to advocate for all visitors and to provide capacity and insights for operators and regions. Over the following years he’s been invited to speak at tourism events on Accessible Tourism in Colombia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Chile, Argentina, and Australia.

The Access Agency has grown to become a recognised leader in Universal Design for tourism, and the consultancy delivers training, audits and communications for clients like Visit Victoria, Destination Gippsland, Tourism NorthEast, Queensland Country Tourism, Tourism Midwest and Parks Victoria.

All attendees will receive a short (3-5 questions) pre-attendance survey to solicit information and the 'level of maturity' regarding access awareness and actions.

The workshop:

Attendees will understand the main barriers to access for visitors with disabilities and those with other access needs. They’ll be introduced to the three pillars of accessible tourism: Accessible Spaces, Inclusive Practices, and Communicating Accessibility in their tourism offerings.

Building on the themes explored in Session One and the results of the interactions and survey, we’ll conduct a deep dive into sector best practices. This will involve attendees preparing a customised accessibility roadmap to help them understand and improve the access and inclusivity of their tourism product.

THE DETAILS

Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025

Time: 10am - 1pm

Where: Tourism Greater Geelong & The Bellarine, 30 Gheringhap Street, Geelong.

Price: It's free for TGGB financial members (maximum of 2 staff per business) : Subscription members $150

Inclusions: Morning tea will be provided

RSVP by: Wednesday 3rd September 2025

We acknowledge that Geelong and The Bellarine is Wadawurrung Country.

We welcome visitors to our region, a place we acknowledge has been cared for by the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation for thousands of years.

The environment is a key reason visitors choose this destination. Traditional Owners sharing the beauty and joy of these lands and waterways is a privilege, one we repay with respect for their country, Elders and people.

You’ll have noticed that we’ve changed ticketing platform recently so 100% of profits from ticket sales goes towards children charities.