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...

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 (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...

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...

December 2025 marked 15 years of voluntary service of Farah Madon as a Community Representative Member of Penrith City Council's Access Committee, having joined the Access Committee in 2010                 &nbs...

    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...

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...

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...

Presenting of our recently completed projects for LAHC (Homes NSW) in Moruya These dwellings have been developed as social and affordable housing with adaptable units.  Architect: Anthony Nolan of Kennedy Associate Architects      ...

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...

Vista Access Architects have recently certified another fantastic SDA Robust House in North Ryde NSW for BlueCHPdesigned to meet the individual needs of the three young ladies who will soon call it their forever home. Architect: Anthony Nolan, Kenned...

Vista Access Architects recently certified the 162 dwelling project at Carlingford for BaptistCare for LHA (Livable Housing Australia) Silver level. These 162 dwellings have been developed as social and affordable apartments for seniors and single pa...

Vista Access Architects recently certified 6 NDIS SDA apartments in Blacktown NSW Architect: Anthony Nolan - Kennedy Associates Architects SDA Provider: Nationwide Care Plus Builders: Civic Properties   3D- Virtual walkthrough LINK HERE &nb...

Vista Access Architects have recently certified a Robust home for 2 (two) SDA participants in NSW. Architect: Anthony Nolan, Kennedy Associate Architects Builder: Trinity Building This is a participant led SDA Housing by BlueCHP to provide bespoke st...

Farah Madon was included on the NSW Local Women of the Year Honour Roll and received the 2023 Mulgoa Local Woman of the Year Award.  Text below from Mulgoa Valley Gazette Farah Madon, an architect dedicated to making housing more accessible...

It gives us great pleasure to announce that our Paper Mill Precinct project is a finalist in the UDIA National 2023 Awards for Excellence in the Masterplanned Communities category.The Paper Mill Precinct project was by our long standing client's ...

As a part of our social responsibility / pro-bono works, Vista Access Architects have been involved with an exciting research project with UTS (University of Technology Sydney). The project is led by Professor Sidney Newton, Professor ...

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 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 ...

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- 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...

Vista Access Architects were the Access Consultants for William Clarke College that has been awarded the Master Builders NSW, Excellence in Construction Award. Our congratulations to Architects PMDL Architecture + Design and The Rohrig...

SDA Project in West Melbourne, VIC Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: 2022 Photo courtesy of Enliven Group. 

SDA Project in Geelong, VIC for Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: 2022 Photo courtesy of Enliven Group. 

  SDA Project in Rockdale NSW for Client: Rockdale Central Pty Ltd Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: 2022 Photo courtesy of Enliven Group. 

SDA Project in Blacktown NSW Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: 2022 Photo courtesy of Enliven Group. 

SDA Project in SA, Bowden for Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: Jan 2022 Photo courtesy of Enliven Group. 

Caroline Chisholm College Architects: Stanton Dahl ArchitectsAccess Consultants: Vista Access Architects Completed 2020 Photo courtesy Staton Dahl Architects

High Rise- SEPP Housing project- Seniors and People with a Disability Client: Eventide Homes, 18 SEPP Seniors Apartments.Architect: Mahi Lau Stanton Dahl ArchitectsBuilder: Mono ConstructionsAccess Consultants: Vista Access Architects Photo courtesy ...

This SEPP Housing development for Seniors and People with a Disability project was for Social housing developer - NSW LAHC (Land and Housing Commission). Architects Stanton Dahl Architects Access Consultant Vista Access Architects Photography by Evan...

  Vista Access Architects are delighted to have been the Disability Access consultants for the Inclusive playground - Variety Livvi's Place at Glenfield. Place Design Group were the Landscape Architects for this project. The project won the...

Farah Madon was recognised by the WWA’s Altitude Awards as their 2021 Award winner for “Excellence in Inclusion Award" "This award is for an outstanding individual who is working in community and within their organisation to include disadvantaged min...

Our latest SDA Project in QLD for BlueCHP just achieves certification. These lovely apartments are designed as per SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) HPS (High Physical Support) design category  

Our SDA Tools App designed for NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) assessments has won the 2021 Australian Access Awards Presented by Centre for Accessibility for the Educational App of the Year !  The Awards are presen...

2021 saw the release of the much-anticipated - AS1428.1-2021 Australian Standards for Access and Mobility.  It takes a substantial amount of time commitment to contribute to the development of these standards and all contributions made to t...

Farah Madon has been selected as a Finalist in the  2021 Western Sydney Executive Woman of the Year Award, alongside the wonderful Lori Modde and Sara Ang. Thank you Amanda Rose and the entire WSW team for this recogniti...

SDA Tools App by Vista Access Architects is the Finalist in the 2021 Australian Access Awards- Educational App category. The Awards are presented by the Centre For Accessibility Australia which is an industry and not-for-profit collaboration wor...

It was a lovely surprise to receive a Certificate of Appreciation for providing Pro-bono services for a Respite home for People with disabilities in Winmalee, NSW from Denise Heath, CEO of NADO (Nepean Area Disability Organisation)

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...

Farah Madon and Vanessa Griffin from Vista Access Architects have recently provided pro-bono Accessibility related services to Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation Limited (NADO)to transform an industrial unit into the first of its kind Sensory Gym ...

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                        ...

SDA Project in SA, Bowden for Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion: 2021

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...

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...

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...

Vista Access Architects were the Access Consultants for the latest additions to St Lucy’s School which was designed by Stanton Dahl Architects St Lucy’s School is for students with a wide range of disabilities including mild to severe intellectual di...

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 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...

  SDA Project in Penrith NSW Client: Astina Group Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: Jan 2021 Photo courtesy of Astina Group.  

SDA Project in Auburn, NSW for Client: Enliven Access Consultant / SDA Assessor: Vista Access Architects Completion date: December 2020 Photo courtesy Enliven