Voice of Queenslanders 2025 Report

What we did

The Voice of Queenslanders with Disability report shared stories and experiences from:

  • 481 Queenslanders with disability
  • 160 Family/carers
  • 62 Organisations

They talked openly about what's going well and what's challenging in their lives. This is the third time we collected stories about all seven areas of the Queensland's Disability Plan 2022-2027 and Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031.

While this report showed important findings, there were many different views. It didn't cover all disability experiences in Queensland, because everyone's voice is unique.

What we found

The research showed critical areas requiring action:

  1. Improve employment opportunities and financial security - address unemployment and income inequality, with fewer people with disability having jobs (43.2%) and good jobs (32.6%) compared to previous years.
  2. Ensure accessible and affordable housing - housing remains expensive and difficult to access, with many people unable to find homes that meet their needs.
  3. Strengthen support services - access to paid support improved, but challenges remain in quality and consistency, particularly with NDIS reforms creating confusion.
  4. Address safety, rights and dignity - while most feel safe, many still face unfair treatment and struggle to advocate for their rights.
  5. Enhance education and training opportunities - access to courses and training decreased significantly, with barriers including costs and accessibility.
  6. Improve health services - people are healthier and have better access to good doctors, but cost remains a significant barrier.
  7. Support families and carers - carers face ongoing challenges balancing work and caring responsibilities while dealing with financial pressures.

What has changed over the last three years?

  • 222 more people participated compared to 2024 – total of 703 participants in 2025.
  • 190 more people with disability participated compared to 2023 (481 in 2025 versus 291 in 2023).
  • Significant increase in people living in residential services (109 or 22.7% of participants).
  • More people from low-income households (29.9% had incomes below $25,000 per year compared to 19.2% in 2024).
  • For the first time, we asked about Auslan users (5.4% identified Auslan as their main communication form).
  • Employment rates dropped from 56% in 2023 to 43.2% in 2025.
  • Access to courses and training decreased significantly.
  • Financial security decreased - only 47.5% had enough money to live well, down from 53% in 2023.

What is getting better?

  • Access to paid support improved significantly - 48.9% had all the paid support they needed in 2025, up from 32.6% in 2024.
  • More people had access to a good doctor and were generally healthier.
  • Disaster planning improved - 80/2% had a plan to stay safe during disasters, up from 64% in 2023.
  • Employers were slightly more likely to hire people with disability than in previous years.

The challenges:

  • Employment and income inequality worsened:
    • Only 43.2% had a paid job.
    • Only 32.6% of those employed felt they had a "good job".
    • Less than half (47.5%) had enough money to live well.
  • Housing remained difficult to access and unaffordable.
  • Access to education and training decreased significantly from previous years.
  • Many still felt the need to hide their disability at work.
  • Cost of living continued to negatively impact people with disability and their family and carers.
  • Fewer people thought life was better compared to previous years - more believed life was worse.

There is no single 'voice of disability' in Queensland. Every person had their own unique story, and it is important that we consider all points of view and needs when designing policies and delivering services for people with disability.

What next:

Your stories matter! More than 1,700 people have shared their experiences over the last three years, and your voice helps shape policies and services that make a real difference. In 2026, we will be conducting the survey again to continue building our understanding of the experiences of Queenslanders with disability.

Register your interest for the 2026 survey, receive future updates and learn more about how you can get involved. Together, we can create a better Queensland for everyone.

You can download the full 2025 report in accessible and PDF versions in the documents section the right-hand side of the page.

What we did

The Voice of Queenslanders with Disability report shared stories and experiences from:

  • 481 Queenslanders with disability
  • 160 Family/carers
  • 62 Organisations

They talked openly about what's going well and what's challenging in their lives. This is the third time we collected stories about all seven areas of the Queensland's Disability Plan 2022-2027 and Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031.

While this report showed important findings, there were many different views. It didn't cover all disability experiences in Queensland, because everyone's voice is unique.

What we found

The research showed critical areas requiring action:

  1. Improve employment opportunities and financial security - address unemployment and income inequality, with fewer people with disability having jobs (43.2%) and good jobs (32.6%) compared to previous years.
  2. Ensure accessible and affordable housing - housing remains expensive and difficult to access, with many people unable to find homes that meet their needs.
  3. Strengthen support services - access to paid support improved, but challenges remain in quality and consistency, particularly with NDIS reforms creating confusion.
  4. Address safety, rights and dignity - while most feel safe, many still face unfair treatment and struggle to advocate for their rights.
  5. Enhance education and training opportunities - access to courses and training decreased significantly, with barriers including costs and accessibility.
  6. Improve health services - people are healthier and have better access to good doctors, but cost remains a significant barrier.
  7. Support families and carers - carers face ongoing challenges balancing work and caring responsibilities while dealing with financial pressures.

What has changed over the last three years?

  • 222 more people participated compared to 2024 – total of 703 participants in 2025.
  • 190 more people with disability participated compared to 2023 (481 in 2025 versus 291 in 2023).
  • Significant increase in people living in residential services (109 or 22.7% of participants).
  • More people from low-income households (29.9% had incomes below $25,000 per year compared to 19.2% in 2024).
  • For the first time, we asked about Auslan users (5.4% identified Auslan as their main communication form).
  • Employment rates dropped from 56% in 2023 to 43.2% in 2025.
  • Access to courses and training decreased significantly.
  • Financial security decreased - only 47.5% had enough money to live well, down from 53% in 2023.

What is getting better?

  • Access to paid support improved significantly - 48.9% had all the paid support they needed in 2025, up from 32.6% in 2024.
  • More people had access to a good doctor and were generally healthier.
  • Disaster planning improved - 80/2% had a plan to stay safe during disasters, up from 64% in 2023.
  • Employers were slightly more likely to hire people with disability than in previous years.

The challenges:

  • Employment and income inequality worsened:
    • Only 43.2% had a paid job.
    • Only 32.6% of those employed felt they had a "good job".
    • Less than half (47.5%) had enough money to live well.
  • Housing remained difficult to access and unaffordable.
  • Access to education and training decreased significantly from previous years.
  • Many still felt the need to hide their disability at work.
  • Cost of living continued to negatively impact people with disability and their family and carers.
  • Fewer people thought life was better compared to previous years - more believed life was worse.

There is no single 'voice of disability' in Queensland. Every person had their own unique story, and it is important that we consider all points of view and needs when designing policies and delivering services for people with disability.

What next:

Your stories matter! More than 1,700 people have shared their experiences over the last three years, and your voice helps shape policies and services that make a real difference. In 2026, we will be conducting the survey again to continue building our understanding of the experiences of Queenslanders with disability.

Register your interest for the 2026 survey, receive future updates and learn more about how you can get involved. Together, we can create a better Queensland for everyone.

You can download the full 2025 report in accessible and PDF versions in the documents section the right-hand side of the page.

Page last updated: 29 Oct 2025, 12:26 PM