Access to appropriate disability housing has long been a challenge for people with disabilities. The National Disability Insurance Scheme NDIS, implemented in 2013, aims to provide assistance to Australians living with disability. In 2021, the NDIS released the Specialist Disability Accommodation SDA Design Standard, a set of guidelines that detail how new homes should be built to meet the specific accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities.
This new standard is to improve living conditions for people with disability, increase the supply of suitable housing, and make it easier to find homes that meet individualized needs. In addition to providing individualized support to people with disabilities, the NDIS SDA Design Standard aims to encourage the development of innovative, market-driven solutions to improve accessibility and design.
The NDIS SDA Design Standard includes guidelines for features such as wider doorways, accessible bathrooms, accessible outdoor spaces and more. The standard also requires builders to consult with people with disabilities to ensure that their unique needs are being met in the design process.
The NDIS SDA Design Standard is a step forward in creating more inclusive and accessible housing options for people with disabilities. It will provide a sustainable pathway for continued innovation and improvement in disability housing design. With the NDIS SDA Design Standard, people with disabilities will be able to live more independently, more comfortably, and with greater dignity.