A campaign to make more tourism experiences accessible for people with blindness, low vision and other disabilities is gaining momentum in South Australia, as industry leaders gather in Adelaide for the nation’s largest tourism trade event.
This week’s Australian Tourism Exchange 2026 has brought more than 2,700 delegates to the Adelaide Convention Centre, including hundreds of international travel buyers and tourism operators.
Among them is James “Buck” McFarlane, the founder of Cocky Guides Australia, a Sydney-based not-for-profit social enterprise working to improve travel opportunities for blind and low-vision Australians while helping tourism businesses better understand accessibility.
During the event, he launched “The Value Exchange” – a new initiative designed to connect tourism operators directly with blind and low-vision travellers to provide practical feedback on accessibility and visitor experience. The idea is to help operators identify simple, low-cost improvements that can make tourism experiences easier to navigate for a broader range of visitors.
Cocky Guides currently works across more than 70 destinations nationwide and regularly brings visitors to South Australia.
“We go to the Willunga Farmers Market, head along the coastline, McLaren Vale and Victor Harbor, we enjoy hanging out down there, so yeah I’m very lucky I’m industry and get to experience this amazing country,” Mr McFarlane said to ARN’s Adam & Jennie.
The discussion around accessibility comes amid growing attention on barriers faced by people with disabilities across the state and country.
South Australian disability advocate Shane Hryhorec has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission after an incident at Adelaide Airport in April in which his mother was threatened with a fine while attempting to collect him from a designated disability pick-up zone.
McFarlane said experiences like that are not uncommon.
“So the incident you had at Adelaide Airport – that happens every day, but this one made the news,” he said.
“There’s over 575,000 blind and low vision Australians and accessing tourism is difficult. If you’re not travelling with your family and friends on their terms, how do you access all these amazing businesses across Australia and throughout the world? That’s what we’re trying to do change that.”
McFarlane is staying in South Australia for a Barossa tour, then heading to the Round Table Conference on information Access for People with Print Disabilities in Adelaide next week. The major conference will be held between the 23rd and 26th of May 2026 at the Pullman Adelaide.
Hear more from Buck McFarlane speaking with ARN’s Adam & Jennie via SoundCloud.
