Enrolling Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) with the NDIA
With the introduction of the SDA Design Standard, the NDIA has implemented a new process for all new as-built dwellings wishing to meet the criteria for enrolment as SDA. As of 1st July 2021, Certification of the Design and As-built stages for new build SDA must be provided by an Accredited SDA Assessor. Under the new process a dwelling is required to be certified by an Accredited Assessor to a particular SDA Design Category at two stages: Design (Provisional) Certification, and Final-as-built Certification (Mandatory for SDA enrolment). The 2-stage certification process, as outlined in the Implementation Plan, aims to assure....
What is a Breakout room in an SDA Robust home?
A separate room is designed to respond to the individual disability-related needs of the participant. This means the rooms contain finishes and equipment suited to the preferences of the resident and tailored to support their needs. It does not need to be a large room, however, should have enough circulation space for furniture and equipment. For people in the community with very high needs, securing suitable housing can be a challenge – but now, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) aims to change this. SDA is available to participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) who are assessed as needing a....
Making Emergency Management Compliance of SDA’s Simple
Keeping everyone safe in a multi-storey building that contains Specialist Disability Accommodation, is the responsibility of both the SIL provider and the SDA owner/provider. Unfortunately, the Australian Building Codes Board negligently ignores the rights and life safety of people with disability by excluding any prescriptive requirements within the deemed-to-satisfy sections of the Building Code of Australia that address the protection and safe evacuation of people with a disability. Like most things I personally think it will require an incident involving loss of life of people with disability before anything happens with building legislation, as if Kew Cottages, Childres Backpackers and....
How to Design & Build Robust Housing
Prepared in conjunction with Anna Fleming from Purposed Housing Australia. Photography Bruce Bromley When planning Robust Category Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) suitable for participants who may require positive behaviour support, there are many designs and operational factors that must be closely considered. From selecting the site itself to planning the environment on both the inside and out, designing and developing a space that meets the needs of the individual is key. To do this, it’s important to create a dwelling that not only meets industry best practice standards but also suits each of the participant’s needs, including any highlighted in....
Fire Safety for Specialist Disability Accommodation
There will be fatalities! It’s not if, but when! Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) first rolled out in 2013 and is aimed at designing houses for persons with ‘Extreme Functional Impairment or Very High Support Needs’. These are identified under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (SDA) Rules 2016 as an impairment resulting in an extremely reduced functional capacity to undertake in one or more activities of mobility, self-care or self-management and has a very high need for person to person support. The result is that particular attention will need to be paid to design suitability for occupants of these dwellings in....
SDA Housing Density Requirements and Calculations
An often overlooked section of the "National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020" is density. Unfortunately, this has not been made clear in most documentation produced. Anyone looking to create SDA within a single parcel of land must familiarise themselves with these requirements. National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020 Subdivision C—Density restriction 31 Density restriction (1) The density restriction applies in relation to a parcel of land if: (a) the parcel of land has 2 or more dwellings; and (b) at least one of those dwellings is either: (i) a new build; or (ii) ....
Motorised Powered Stair Climber EvacuLife Power
Family homes or apartments with stairs present barriers for people with a mobility type disability restricting them accessing the greater community. Additionally broken or out of serviced lifts are of no use in an evacuation nor are stairs when individuals don’t have the capacity to use them. The EvacuLife Power MKII motorised powered stair climber and evacuation chair solves that problem and importantly is easy to use. It’s the ultimate powered solution for movement of people with a disability for day to day activities or in an evacuation or medical emergency. With one push of a button you, can transport individuals comfortably and....
The Critical Role Occupational Therapists Play in SDA
Enabling Independence Through Good Design Working with an Occupational Therapist during the design phase of new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) will ensure optimal outcomes for residents with complex disabilities. While identifying the individual needs of residents with complex disabilities is a specialist skill and needs to be addressed through a formal assessment from an Occupational Therapist, it is evident that as we start to consider the needs of an individual and how their environment can either facilitate or hinder independence, the importance of both health and design professionals working collaboratively with residents to achieve successful outcomes and design quality homes....
Why your SDA might be a Class 3 and not a Class 1a or 1b
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is setting new standards within the building industry, paving the way for the development of homes rather than institutions for people with a disability. However, this has created some ambiguity over when a home registered as an SDA no longer fits the model of a ‘Typical home’ under the Building Code of Australia. The Building Code of Australia (BCA) is a technical building document adopted Australia wide which categorises how a building use shall be designed/constructed to safeguard health, safety and amenity of all occupants. These uses are defined as ‘Building Classifications’ and include; Class....
Fitness Rehabilitation Equipment funded under the NDIS
It’s rare to find a piece of equipment that combines functionality and good design into the one product. For many years fitness & rehabilitation equipment has taken the functionality route over design. And then came the Access Xpress. The ultimate good design and functional hybrid. The Access Xpress has been designed with the end users in mind and caters for all fitness levels and physical abilities. It’s a flagship piece of fitness equipment that allows both able-bodied and wheelchair users to gain the most of the endless possibilities of exercise movements available from the patented adjustable arms and additional cable....
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Recent Posts
- Upgrading an Existing House to Specialist Disability Accommodation
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