The National Disability Insurance Agency will review the design standards of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) so that thousands of Australians with disability continue to access the safest, and highest-quality homes possible.
The SDA Design Standard outlines the minimum accessibility requirements for new-build homes, provided to people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
This covers entrances, doors, room dimensions, kitchen and bathroom layout, light switches and power points, flooring, landscaping, storage, lighting, and assistive technology.
The review will update design requirements to reflect lived experience, keep pace with industry standards and improve environmental sustainability.
More than 15,000 Australians with disability live in SDA.
NDIS participants, family members, and people who work, build and invest in SDA will be asked for input on current design requirements that are effective, and about the case for change in other areas.
The National Disability Insurance Agency will conduct the review.
Easy Read materials, interpreters, captioning and translations will form a fundamental part of the process.
The review will commence this week and is expected to run for at least 12 months.
Details on how to become involved and share feedback will be available on the NDIS website soon, along with the review’s terms of reference.
The project will also consider how the new SDA Design Standard will be implemented, including when the new requirements will take effect.
Quotes attributable to Senator Jenny McAllister, Minister for the NDIS:
“We want people living in Specialist Disability Accommodation to live in homes that truly meet their needs.
That’s why we’ll listen to those with lived experience, so that the accessibility needs of people with disability who rely on this housing are met.”
“We know this is crucial to support independence, choice and control.”