Get the inside story of how the world’s first wheelchair accessible bridge climb experience has been created right here in Brisbane by John Sharpe (the entrepreneurial force behind Story Bridge Adventure Climb and Vertigo Brisbane) and the small but important part Height Dynamics played in ensuring the best possible height safety system was in place to support this history-making achievement.
Accessible bridge climb a new benchmark for accessible tourism
For people with physical accessibility requirements, the opportunity to climb Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge is a dream come true. And the realisation of that dream was spearheaded by the king of specialist adventure tourism experiences, John Sharpe.
John led the Story Bridge Adventure Climb team and worked with a range of accessibility experts and advocates who shared his passion for making adventure tourism more accessible for everyone. Their collaboration has raised the bar and created the world’s first ever wheelchair-accessible bridge climb.
Fine-tuning a height safety system for an accessible bridge climb
To make the dream a reality, the Story Bridge Adventure Climb team first needed to select (and modify) a motorised stair-climbing wheelchair. The model chosen had to have sufficient weight capacity (for the user) and battery life (for the climb). Most importantly, it had to be the right size and dimensions to fit the Story Bridge climb area and come with a track system that suited the existing stair treads.
The team then moved onto height safety. Over a period of time, they tested and trialled a variety of specialised height safety components and combinations to see which could potentially work with their modified wheelchair. Towards the end of this process, Height Dynamics was asked to consult with the team and offer advice and recommendations on the optimal bespoke height safety system for their needs and worksite.
We love it when we get the chance to problem solve for clients. We were able to identify ways to make the system more capable and practical by swapping in specialist ascent and descent equipment that was easier to operate and offered secure positioning along with the capability to facilitate a fast emergency rescue if required. After further testing, this became the final system design.
Launch attended by Paralympian and Australian of the Year
The Story Bridge Wheelchair Accessible Climb was officially launched on 9 April 2025. The launch included an accessible bridge climb by Australia’s two time swimming gold medallist Paralympian, Rachael Watson (OAM) – along with 2021 Australian of the Year, Dinesh Palipana (OAM). Other special guests included the Hon. Steve Minnikin (LNP Minister and MP for Chatsworth in Queensland).
Congratulations to the team at Story Bridge Adventure Climb
Our sincere congratulations to the team at Story Bridge Adventure Climb – and to everyone involved in this amazing world-class achievement. It was a privilege to briefly contribute to such an epic endeavour and a delight to see it come to fruition.
Do you know someone who wants to make history?
The Story Bridge Wheelchair Accessible Bridge Climb will be opening to the public soon and the SBAC team are currently taking enquiries from groups who may wish to support a wheelchair user to be among the first people to complete an accessible bridge climb.
See their website for further details at storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au