How two regional businesses transformed their approach to inclusion and accessibility.

Mark Cachia, CEO of Gladstone Airport Corporation, and Katrina Lucas, owner of Mabel and Mack’s, may lead very different businesses. One is a major regional transport hub and the other is a small independent bookshop and café, yet both discovered the same powerful lesson: accessibility isn’t about checking boxes, but about seeing through the eyes of customers and the community.

The Workforce Evolve difference

Launched in October 2025, the Workforce Evolve Accessibility and Inclusion Pilot was designed to help regional businesses in Gladstone, make practical and meaningful changes. Delivered through Workforce Evolve by Business Chamber Queensland and in partnership with Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), the program provided tailored support through Inclusion Consultant mentorship, online modules and ongoing coaching. 

Both Mark and Katrina were impressed by the program’s practical approach. 

“The Workforce Evolve pilot program was extremely flexible,” explains Mark. “It allowed us to work with our consultants, do some practical work and then do some reporting. It wasn’t an onerous task.” 

For Katrina, a first-time business owner, the program provided a strong foundation for understanding inclusion and accessibility. The flexibility of completing the modules at her own pace proved particularly valuable. 

“The Workforce Evolve modules and content were very user-friendly and fantastic in their flexibility because it allowed me to do it when I had a spare moment.” 

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know”

In addition to the Workforce Evolve support, Katrina valued the lived experience input from Kate, her Inclusion Consultant. 

“Kate was my Inclusion Consultant throughout the program. She basically mentored me and worked with me,” explains Katrina. 

“The thing that surprised me about the program,” said Katrina, “was that there were actually so many different things that I was able to get out of it and so many things that I didn’t know that I didn’t know.” 

With Kate’s guidance, Katrina identified practical ways to improve the customer experience both in-store and online. Their fortnightly meetings highlighted small but important barriers, from furniture layout and entrance grip to adding a website accessibility statement. These changes have helped Katrina create a more welcoming experience for customers and communicate her commitment to inclusion. 

Small actions, meaningful change

Mark came to the pilot with a different level of experience. As CEO of Gladstone Airport Corporation, a facility that has served the region since 1952 and welcomes more than 221,000 passengers annually, Mark was already familiar with disability advocates across the Gladstone region. However, the pilot unlocked a new level of understanding. 

During a walk-through with Jaceen, one of the Inclusion Consultants, Mark discovered a barrier he had previously overlooked: the stanchion system at the check-in counter that creates a winding queue for passengers. Jaceen has a vision impairment and, by using her cane, was able to show Mark how difficult it could be to navigate the space. She shared how beneficial it would be for people with disability to use the premium queue, as it provides a straighter and more accessible pathway. 

“That for me was a real eye-opener going through that process,” said Mark. “It surprised me that we were learning things that we didn’t know, that we thought we knew, and that we hadn’t done things that we probably should have done.” 

Mark has since championed bathroom renovations to improve accessibility and streamlined processes to make the airport more welcoming. More importantly, he has shifted how he thinks about airport operations.

The impact of lived experience

A critical factor in both Mark and Katrina’s experience was working alongside people with lived experience of disability. Rather than simply meeting requirements, the pilot helped businesses understand how people actually experience spaces, services and processes. 

Katrina’s changes are already having an impact. A North Queensland author discovered her website’s new Inclusion Statement and reached out about stocking her children’s book featuring her son with disability. It was a connection Katrina believes may not have happened previously. 

“She reached out to me because she saw my inclusion statement on the website,” explains Katrina. “She knew that I was accepting.” 

For Mark, the impact was seen through the way his team began to think differently about accessibility and inclusion. The combination of Workforce Evolve training and Jaceen’s lived experience helped turn practical changes into a broader cultural shift.

From resistance to momentum

Creating meaningful change within an established organisation takes time. Mark recognised that introducing accessibility initiatives required not only practical improvements but also a shift in understanding across his team. 

When introducing accessibility initiatives, Mark initially encountered some resistance from his team. 

“It wouldn’t have been the majority, but there was resistance. I guess it’s the change and not knowing what that meant and why we were doing it,” explains Mark. “But that was part of the training we did around preparing the workforce with Workforce Evolve.” 

Through the pilot and the knowledge gained through Workforce Evolve, Mark was able to bring his team on the journey, helping them understand why accessibility improvements mattered and the impact they could have on customers and the community. 

“I think the pilot program made a huge difference in the way we look at things now. For my team, it was just bringing them on that journey, explaining why we were doing things, understanding why we need to do it and that we are not all the same. We all have different needs.” 

For Mark, the value of lived experience was in helping his team understand the difference between meeting requirements and creating genuinely inclusive experiences. 

“Rules and regulations are black and white, and sometimes you need the grey,” says Mark. “Having people with lived experience made it really easy to understand not only what the rules and regulations are, but how a person feels when they are going through a process or walking through an airport.” 

Mark’s experience demonstrates how the right support, education and lived experience can transform accessibility from a compliance exercise into a shared commitment across an organisation. 

The Workforce Evolve approach

Both Mark and Katrina credited the program’s tailored support as critical to their engagement. The pilot offered:

• A Health Check to identify starting points and areas for growth
• Personalised Inclusion Consultant support to address specific needs
• Workforce Evolve modules on inclusive workplace design and building diverse teams
• Ongoing workforce coaching and tailored guidance 

For Katrina, the personal mentorship was transformative. For Mark, the structured framework provided the confidence and evidence needed to champion accessibility improvements across the organisation. 

Advice for other regional businesses

What the pilot revealed was that meaningful accessibility improvements don’t require massive budgets or organisational overhauls. They require awareness, intention and a willingness to listen. 

More importantly, Katrina feels her business now genuinely reflects her values. 

“The thing that I’m most proud of in taking part with the pilot is just the small changes that I’ve made and the awareness I now have. Always having in the back of my mind: am I being inclusive? And I think that’s really important for everybody to make sure that we’re all making people feel welcome.” 

For Mark, the pilot has opened his and his teams’ eyes. 

“Look, we’ve got a long way to go before we get to the point where we want to be. But it’s definitely changed the way we look at things.” 

“If we don’t move with the times, we’re going to fall behind. And in particular around tourism, when you look at it, the pilot gives people the ability to be included.” 

Both Mark and Katrina have committed to continuing their accessibility journey beyond the pilot, helping create more welcoming spaces and experiences for the Gladstone community.