Annastacia Palaszczuk slams cops after revealing plans for Brisbane 2032 Paralympic center, with very bizarre design feature
- The Paralympic Center of Excellence has a spiral staircase
- The university claims that it is fully accessible.
The Brisbane Paralympic Center of Excellence has drawn attention after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled a design featuring a spiral staircase that will be inaccessible to wheelchair users.
The center, to be built before the city hosts the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will include a wheelchair and prosthetics workshop, as well as dedicated testing facilities and international standard sports facilities.
But the center on the University of Queensland’s Saint Lucia campus strangely includes a steep spiral staircase.
However, the University says the center and the adjoining Health and Recreation Center, where the stairway is located, will be fully accessible.
The Brisbane Paralympic Center of Excellence has drawn attention after proposing a design for a spiral staircase that will be inaccessible to wheelchair users, photos show.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the center on Wednesday, saying the support was an example of the legacy of hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“A Paralympic Center of Excellence inspires more athletes to compete in 2032,” said the Premier.
‘But it also provides invaluable research and other opportunities for our community.
“This is what legacy is all about: lasting benefits to our community long after the closing ceremonies,” he said in a statement.
The Queensland Government will provide $44 million for the Center of Excellence.
The center, which is being built ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will include a wheelchair and prosthetics workshop, as well as dedicated testing facilities and international standard sports facilities.
The University will contribute $44 million. It is asking the Federal Government for equivalent support.
The photos of the designs show the three-story building with a grand spiral staircase.
After sharing the news on her Facebook page, Ms Palaszczuk was inundated with confusing comments about the prominent staircase.
“I love the idea of the installation, I am impressed by the most physically prominent design feature which is a staircase. Seems a bit deaf and disrespectful given the target audience, but that’s just my opinion, I don’t speak for the entire disability community,” one person said.
‘Why does one of the buildings have a spiral staircase?’ said another.
Many others suggested that the investment would be better spent on the homelessness crisis.
Stirling Hinchliffe, Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport and Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Olympics and Paralympics, Sport and Engagement, said: “This will be the first Center of Excellence of its kind anywhere in the world combining leading research, sports technology , rehabilitation and a potential runway for a 2032 Paralympic Games medal podium.
“It will set a new international benchmark for elite Paralympic sport and inclusion as the first of many tangible legacies Queenslanders have told us they want from the 2032 Games.
“With facilities at the University of Queensland already set up for 20 of the current 23 Paralympic sports, the St. Lucia campus is a place set up for a lasting legacy.”
