7 Best Wheelchair friendly, Air-Conditioned Activities you can do in Brisbane this Summer.

Summer. It's the best season of the year, right?

That is of course, unless you live in Queensland where it’s 40 MILLION degrees for 4 months of the year.

And we’ve all had those days. The days where it’s so hot that after just 15mins, you have this sudden urge to submerge yourself in a person size freezer with a 7/11 slurpee just to get your body temperature back to normal. And that’s before 9am!

At YCS, we love to get outside on these beautiful days, but sometimes we have to admit that the 40 degree heat can be a little uncomfortable when we’re trying to have a good time.

Add to the fact that some of our participants are in wheelchairs.

Some of these guys are unable to self-regulate their temperature, so we were getting a bit stuck for activities to do.

We’ve put our heads down and brainstorm our ideas to help us keep our participants cool and entertained in this 40-degree business.

We took these ideas for a test run and asked our guys which ones they thought should make the cut!

So here are the tried and tested results, so you too can keep cool, no matter your walking situation. As a cheeky bonus we’ve kept these as low costs as possible, so you have more moola to spend where you’d like.

RSPCA

We can’t hide it, we love animals. And aircon. Which is why the RSPCA centre at Wacol is a win win! We love taking a (free) trip through the cats, dogs, turtles and more and cool down afterwards at the café for a drink and a sandwich.

With great ramps and parking for wheelchair access, this activity is super inclusive and is also popular among our participants.

IKEA

Keep out of the heat, plan your next furniture overhaul AND have a cheap and delish lunch? Um yes, count us in!

We did mention the Wheelchair friendly routes with arrows around the centre?

Bowling

Grab a friend or two and your support worker and have yourself a little competition. Our go-to spot for bowling is AMF Mount Gravatt in Brisbane. We find the staff and venue fully caters for people with a disability, including accessible toilets and an easy to park car park.

Bonus: This bowling alley is close to but not located in Garden City shopping centre, meaning you get to have all the fun without navigating a hectic car park with limited disability parking spots.

Southbank's Science Museum

We can confirm, this place has some of the best air conditioning around! It is also home to great facilities and great exhibitions that are updated frequently.
Added bonus – take the train or bus in to develop some of those independent life skills.

Ipswich Art Gallery

Who knew an art gallery could be so interactive! Complete with full access lifts, this place is no issue for people with wheelchairs. The art gallery has had some epic interactive programs, no matter your age, interest, physical or intellectual ability. We’ve checked out the recent giant construction room and tape scape that have been featured among the most popular programs! See their website here for info on the most up to date programs.

Visit a Library

Get smarter and cool off at the same time! Some of our fave libraries around include Springfield and Mount Ommaney. These are both situated within local shopping centres (meaning snacks and drinks are close by), and have daily activities, guest speakers and programs that cater to a wide range of interests and abilities. You could even just bring your own book or ipad and chill out in the comfy chairs and open spaces in both of these venues.

Planetarium at Mount Coot-tha Gardens.

Or check out the Cosmic Skydome, which is a circular theatre giving you a 180-degree view of the sky and space!
Plus, if it cools down enough, there’s even the option to zip around the botanic gardens for a while before heading into the café for a drink or bite to eat. What we love about this place is the tonnes of healthy options available, so you’re not confined to the usual *insert fast food* + chips. Que delish salads, quiches and sandwiches…all some of our fave things!