Updated for 2026 | NSW Apartment Design Guide | Housing SEPP | Livable Housing Design | Building Accessibility. For many years, developers, architects and consent authorities commonly understood that 20% of apartments in New South Wales residential d...
Accessibility Mistakes in New Buildings
Why do Accessibility Mistakes Still Happen in New Builds? Design oversights, misinterpretation of Australian Standards, or Accessibility being considered just too late in the project lifecycle result in accessibility related mistakes in new developme...
Farah Madon appointed a Member of the Order of Australia - Australia Day 2026
Farah Madon appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day 2026 Honours List, for ‘significant service to architecture and to people with disability’. Expression of thanks from Farah Madon. 'This recognition is incredib...
Which Livable Housing Design document should we use, LHA or NCC LHDS?
Livable Housing Design Guidelines (LHA) Silver level (SL) vs NCC Livable Housing Design Standards (LHDS) An opinion piece by Farah Madon Farah Madon is a past Director of Livable Housing Australia and also was a member of the ABCB's (Australia...
9 of Vista Access projects Finalists in UDIA NSW AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2025
It is a huge honour for a project to be nominated as a Finalist in UDIA NSW AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2025, but to have 9 of our projects where we have been the Access and Inclusion consultants, completed in the past 12 months to be no...
NDIS SDA Building Type – House vs Villa and Number of permissible Villas clarified
This article is to illustrate NDIA’s general position to interpreting Item 3 (c) of Schedule 1 of the SDA Rules which will be applied from Tuesday 25 March 2025 to enrolment applications received after this date (or those that are pending). It is not...
Accessibility study for the 2032 Brisbane Athletes Village for the Office of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
One of our most exciting projects of 2024 was working on a project for the Brisbane Athletes Village for the Office of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (QLD Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning). This project involv...
Analysis of the 2024 car parking requirements under SEPP Housing 2021 for Seniors and People with a disability.
Analysis of the 2024 car parking requirements under SEPP Housing 2021 for Seniors and People with a disability. [Class 1 parking options as per SEPP Housing 2021 (2024 version)] Below is the link to a short video discussion by Farah Madon, Vista Acce...
Updated 2022 NCC Livable Housing Design Standard released
Over the past 2 months, Farah Madon has been working on behalf of ACAA (Association of Consultants in Access Australia) with a small group of people including representatives from the building industry, design professionals, certifiers and accessibil...
Farah Madon awarded ACAA Fellow Membership
Farah Madon awarded ACAA Fellow Membership Farah Madon was awarded ACAA (Association of Consultants in Access Australia) Fellow membership at the 2022 ACAA AGM for her significant contribution to ACAA and to the field of disability access. Farah has ...
AS1428.1-2021- Technical article 2- Luminance Reflectance Value
Bite size technical article on AS1428.1-2021- Luminance contrast where one colour is known and you need to know what the contrasting colour needs to be, to comply with luminance contrast requirements for BCA/NCC or NDIS SDA (Specialist Disability Acc...
AS1428.1:2021- Technical article 1-Application of 1500mm clear width to Curved walkways/ramps
AS1428.1:2021- Bite size technical article 1 - Application of 1500mm clear width to Curved walkways and ramps AS1428.1:2021 (Desing for Access and Mobility) Clause 7.4(f) Curved walkways, ramps and landings The AS1428.1-2009 Clause 10.4 the foll...
Refurbishment Cost to qualify as a 'New Build' under the NDIS SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation)
An existing dwelling can be refurbished to qualify as a 'new build' for SDA (Specialist Disability Accomodation) funding. But have you considered the minimum refurbishment cost ? SDA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2021-22 (previously the Price...
2021 Altitude Awards in the Excellence in Inclusion category
It is with great joy that we announce that Vista Access Architects are a finalist in the; 2021 Altitude Awards in the Excellence in Inclusion category ...
2021 Project certified for SDA by Vista Access Architects wins 2021Master Builders Queensland Award
Master Builders QLD - Wide Bay Burnett Housing & Construction Awards 2021 It is with immense pleasure that we announce that the very first project certified by Vista Access Architects in QLD for SDA at both the Design and As-built stages, has won...
New NSW Housing SEPP to include NSW SEPP Seniors and people with a Disability
The new NSW Housing SEPP will consolidate five existing housing-related NSW SEPPs: 1. State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 (ARHSEPP); 2. State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing for Seniors and People with a Disabi...
Farah Madon presents webinar on AS1428.1:2021.
Event Details In this webinar, Farah will be introducing the updated version of AS1428.1:2021 which was released in June 2021. It is anticipated that the updated AS1428.1:2021 will be incorporated in the BCA/NCC 2022. Updates provide clarity to AS142...
Accessibility Webinar III, Hong Kong 2021
Farah Madon of Vista Access Architects was invited to present a webinar on Universal Design and Housing options for People with a Disability in Australia at the 2021 Hong Kong Accessibility Webinar III. A link to the presentation is on https://f...
SDA Tools App for NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation
SDA Tools App has a set of calculators developed to assist with the design and assessment of dwellings developed under the NDIS SDA (National Disability Insurance Scheme - Specialist Disability Accommodation) The SDA Tools App has 3 Calculators. 1. N...
Vista Access Architect certifies first Final-as-built dwelling under the new SDA Design Standard
Vista Access Architects are delighted to announce the completion of our very first Final-as-built Certification for an SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) HPS (High Physical Support) home in Avenell Heights QLD for our Client Liveable Home...
