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. NDIS SDA Density Calculator based on the SDA Rules 2020

2. Luminance Contrast Calculator (where LRV Values are available)

3. Slope and Gradients Convertor Calculator

The app is availble for Apple phones and Ipads on this LINK 

For users that do not have access to Apple products the same calculators are available on on website HERE

Disclaimer: The SDA Tools app is a free resource developed by Vista Access Architects to simplify the requirements and have been developed based on our interpretation of the requirements. The App is free to use but at your own risk. By using this App you agree that you use them at your own risk and the developers of this app and Vista Access Architects will take no responsibility for your reliance upon the results produced by the App.

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

One of our pro-bono projects involved provision of access consulting services for a very long and complex wheelchair accessible pathway for children at Bear Cottage (An initiative of The Children's Hospital at Westmead)

Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW providing support, respite and end of life care for children with terminal illness and their families.

We are delighted to have been able to contribute to this fantastic project!

Vista Access Architects were delighted to provided pro-bono access consulting services to NOVA EMPLOYMENT for their building at 103-105 Queen Street, St Marys NSW

NOVA Employment is a Disability Employment Service and Registered NDIS Provider that assists people with disability to find and maintain award wage jobs in the general community.

NOVA is a Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) Program that offers specialist job seeking assistance and post placement support. They find jobs in the general community, at award wage. NOVA works exclusively with people who have a variety of disabilities or significant barriers to work and have an excellent record of success and meaningful career development.

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 Homes Australia.

SDA Certification is a rigorous process with strict compliance essential with all the requirements of the NDIS SDA Design Standard and we would like to congratulate Liveable Homes Australia for possibly being the first in Australia in achieving the Final-as-built Certification for their beautiful home.

 3D walk through on this link https://liveablehomesaustralia.com.au/3d-sda-house-tour

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 Homes Australia.

SDA Certification is a rigorous process with strict compliance essential with all the requirements of the NDIS SDA Design Standard and we would like to congratulate Liveable Homes Australia for possibly being the first in Australia in achieving the Final-as-built Certification for their beautiful home.

 3D walk through on this link https://liveablehomesaustralia.com.au/3d-sda-house-tour

The NDIS SDA Price Guide 2020-21 has an Appendix B for Annual Base Price per participant for New Builds, Appendix C for Annual Base Price per participant for Existing Stock and Appendix D for Annual Base Price per participant for Legacy Stock.

However, we regularly get the question in regard to what can be considered as a New Build, Existing Stock and Legacy Stock or none of these and therefore ineligible for SDA. The NDIS SDA Rules 2020 and NDIS SDA Price Guide 2020-21 both have definitions for New Build, Existing Stock and Legacy Stock, however with minor differences in both documents.

To assist with ther determination of New Build, Existing Stock and Legacy Stock or Dwelling not eligible for SDA, Vista Access Architects have created a Calculator which will determine this for you when you respond to 11 Questions in a simple Yes or No format.

https://www.accessarchitects.com.au/ndis-new-existing-legacy-calculator

As usual the standard Disclaimers apply. The calculator is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquiries directly with NDIA. Use the calculator at your own risk. Vista Access Architects shall not be held liable for reliance upon results produced by the Calculator.

The NDIS SDA Price Guide 2020-21 has an Appendix B for Annual Base Price per participant for New Builds, Appendix C for Annual Base Price per participant for Existing Stock and Appendix D for Annual Base Price per participant for Legacy Stock.

However, we regularly get the question in regard to what can be considered as a New Build, Existing Stock and Legacy Stock or none of these and therefore ineligible for SDA. The NDIS SDA Rules 2020 and NDIS SDA Price Guide 2020-21 both have definitions for New Build, Existing Stock and Legacy Stock, however with minor differences in both documents.

To break this down first it is important to assess if the Dwelling can be considered to be a New Build. A dwelling that has been built or renovated post April 2016 in some circumstances can also be considered to be a New Build.

To qualify as a 'New Build' under the NDIS SDA, the dwelling needs to comply with the following 5 conditions:

1. Date of Certificate of occupancy; and
2. Total number of residents in the dwelling; and
3. Design requirements of the dwelling; and
4. Density requirements; and
5. Age of the dwelling.

1. Date of Certificate of occupancy.
There are 2 options to comply with this first requirement, noted below as Option A and Option B.
Option A: The very FIRST certificate of occupancy (or equivalent) was issued on or after 1 April 2016. This is important to note the use of the word 'FIRST' in this requirement; or
Option B: The dwelling has been renovated or refurbished and issued with a certificate of occupancy (or equivalent) after 1 April 2016, AND:
i) because of the renovation or refurbishment the dwelling meets the Minimum Requirements for a Design Category other than Basic design as noted in the Table 3 of the SDA Price Guide; and
ii) the cost of the refurbishment is equal to or greater than the amount set out in the SDA Price Guide, Appendix F – Minimum Refurbishment Costs for New Builds ($2019/20)

2. Total number of residents in the dwelling.
There are 2 options to comply with this second requirement, noted below as Option A and Option B.
Option A: It is enrolled to house five or fewer long-term residents (excluding support staff); or
Option B: It is the home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves (as a registered provider) and to reside there with the participant’s spouse or de facto partner and children.

3. Design requirements of the dwelling.
All its shared areas, and the  bedrooms and similar sized private rooms comply with the Minimum Requirements for a Design Category other than Basic design set out in Section 2B, Table 3 of the NDIS SDA Price Guide. Note that new requirements for design apply post 1st July 2021. Read more about the design requirements here.

4. Density requirements.
The SDA developer needs to confirm that the development does not breach the density restrictions for New Builds in s 31 of the SDA Rule 2020s 31 of the SDA Rule 2020. The density restrictions apply when there are multiple dwellings on a single parcel of land. For more information on Density requirements, read our article on Density requirements or use our SDA Density Calculator.

5. Age of the dwelling.
Fewer than 20 years should have elapsed from the date the certificate of occupancy (or equivalent) in Condition 1 of the Definition of New Build above was issued.

To qualify as a 'Existing' under the NDIS SDA, the dwelling needs to comply with the following 6 conditions:

1. Certificate of occupancy; and
2. Design requirements of the dwelling; and
3. Total number of residents in the dwelling; and
4. Use of Dwelling between 1 July 2013 and 1 Dec 2016; and
5. Type of the dwelling; and
6. Previous funding received by resident of the dwelling.

1. Certificate of occupancy.
The dwelling does not have a certificate of occupancy for a New Build

2. Design requirements of the dwelling
There are 2 options to comply with this second requirement, noted below as Option A and Option B.
Option A: All shared areas and any bedrooms for use by SDA-eligible participants comply, or substantially comply, with the Minimum Requirements for HPS,FA, IL, RO or Basic as noted in the SDA Price Guide OR
Option B: Where dwelling is home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves- All shared areas, and any bedrooms for use by SDA-eligible participants comply with the Minimum Requirements for HPS,FA, IL, RO or Basic as noted in the SDA Price Guide

3. Total number of residents in the dwelling
Dwelling is enrolled to house five or fewer long-term residents (excluding support staff) OR
Dwelling is the home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves (as a registered provider) and to reside there with the participant’s spouse or de facto partner and children

4. Use of Dwelling between 1 July 2013 and 1 Dec 2016.
Dwelling, at some time between 1 July 2013 and 1 December 2016, primarily used as accommodation for people with disability who have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. (This requirement does not apply where dwelling is home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves).

5. Type of the dwelling.
Dwelling is not an aged care, health care or other facility that is not specifically intended for use as disability accommodation. (This does not apply where dwelling is home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves)

6. Previous funding received by resident of the dwelling.
Dwelling housed at least one resident who received disability related supported accommodation (or equivalent) payments from a State, Territory or Commonwealth Government at some time between 1 July 2013 and 1 December 2016. (This does not apply where dwelling is home of a participant who intends to provide SDA to themselves)

To qualify as a 'Legacy' under the NDIS SDA, the dwelling needs to comply 

- All requirements for Existng Stock; except, no concessions are available for Participant intending to provide SDA to themselves as a registered provider and the dwelling is enrolled to house more than five long-term residents (excluding support staff).

Funding of the types of dwelling eligible for SDA funding are noted in NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) SDA Price Guide. Therefore, to seek SDA funding the SDA dwelling is required to fit into one of the below dwelling types.

Types of funded SDA dwellings:

• Apartment, 1 bedroom, 1 resident- In this case the apartment with one bedroom will be for exclusive use of one Participant.
• Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 1 resident - In this case the apartment with two bedrooms will have one bedroom for exclusive use of one Participant and one non-SDA bedroom.
• Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 residents- In this case the apartment with two bedrooms will have two bedrooms for use by two Participants (one each).
  
• Apartment, 3 bedrooms, 2 residents- In this case the apartment with three bedrooms will have two bedrooms for use by two Participants (one each) and one non-SDA bedroom.
  

• Villa/duplex/townhouse, 1 resident
• Villa/duplex/townhouse, 2 residents
• Villa/duplex/townhouse, 3 residents
• House, 2 residents
• House, 3 residents

• Group Home, 4 residents
• Group Home, 5 residents

The OOA (On-site Overnight Assistance) requirements will depend on the type of the SDA dwelling.

The On-site Overnight Assistance (OOA) amount is an additional amount that is paid when an additional space or apartment is provided for use by support staff who provide 24-hour support services to SDA participants living in the same dwelling or same apartment complex. The type of OOA depends on the SDA Building Type as shown below.

Common questions we receive with regards to OOA

Question: I have a 3 Bedroom SDA apartment with only 2 Participants. Can I use the third bedroom for OOA?

Answer: This scenario is not permitted for OOA payment under the Price Guide.

Question: I have 15 SDA Apartments that require OOA. Can I claim OOA payment for all 15 SDA apartments if I provide one OOA apartment?

Answer: OOA is paid per maximum of 10 SDA Apartments. Therefore, for 15 SDA units to receive the OOA funding, 2 OOA apartments will be required. If only one OOA is provided, then OOA would be payable to 10 SDA apartments and not payable on 5 SDA apartments.

Question: I have a 5-bedroom Group home, can I provide one of these rooms as OOA?

Answer: Yes, if you have 4 Participants then the 5th bedroom can be provided as OOA. 

Question: Can an OOA room be designed as an office without a bed provided?

Answer: There are no set requirements for provision of a bed in an OOA room, though it is important to remember that OOA room will be used by the SIL provider to be on site (24 hours). Therefore, even though not mandated, we would recommend a space for a bed in the OOA room.

New advice as received from NDIA on the 11th of November 2022

Studio apartments not accepted as OOA- 

SDA Design Stage Certification submitted to the NDIA prior to 4 December 2021 Development Application dated after 11 November 2022

Studio apartments accepted as OOA- 

Development Applications dated between 4 December 2021 and 11 November 2022

Liked our article? Follow us on LinkedIn for more articles on SDA or contact us on admin@accessarchitects.com.au

Disclaimer: Thís article is based on Vista Access Architect’s personal interpretation of requirements. This article is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquires directly with NDIA.

Is your SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Assessor a NDIS Accredited SDA Assessor?

NDIS SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Assessments and Certifications under the new NDIS SDA Design Standard can only be provided by an NDIS Accredited SDA Assessor. Accredited SDA licences have just started being rolled out to eligible applicants by Livable Housing Australia.

Vista Access Architects are delighted to announce that we now have 3 NDIS Accredited SDA Assessors in our team.

Following are the requirements to become an Accredited SDA Assessor as set by the NDIA.

Below are the NDIA requirements in regards to the independence of the Accredited SDA Assesor

The Accredited SDA Assessor must be an independent third party i.e. independent of the project Architect or Builder or Building Certifier.

At both Design (Provisional) and Final-as-built stage, the Accredited SDA Assessor cannot have a connection to the applicant, for example by way of employment or some other contractual relationship.

An Accredited SDA assessor cannot certify, at both Design (Provisional) and Final-as-built-stage, any project that has been designed (in their capacity of an Architect) or constructed by themselves (in their capacity as the Builder) or other review services (in their capacity as the BCA consultant or Private Building Certifier).

This also extends to another employee or contractors in the company associated with the project. For example, a firm with multiple architects cannot have one Architect
design and another Architect within the same firm certify the project. This is essential to maintain independence and integrity of assessment.

Accredited SDA Assessors certifying dwellings at either Design (Provisional) stage or Final as Built stage must be a third party to the builder, developer and SDA Registered Provider.

Contact us on admin@accessarchitects.com.au for a fee proposal to assess and certify your SDA development.

The SDA price for a particular dwelling depends on the location of the dwelling. To derive an SDA price limit for a particular dwelling, the Base Price (before the fire sprinkler allowance) is multiplied by the Location Factor relevant to the property’s location and Building Type. The location factor is noted in Appendix E – of the NDIS SDA Price Guide 2019-20. The Location Factors applied in SDA Price Guide are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Statistical Area 4 regions.

So what is SA4 area?

Statistical Areas Level 4 (SA4) are geographical areas which have been designed for the output of a variety of regional data, including data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. There are 107 SA4 regions covering the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

The SA4s were designed using several criteria which reflect a balance between respective considerations such as population and labour markets. For example, a population of minimum of 100,000 persons was set for the SA4s, with some exceptions to this in regional and metropolitan areas.

Labour markets were also a key consideration in the design of SA4s. The reason for this is that Labour force data has two geographic components to it - the labour supply (where people live) and demand (where people work).

How do you find what SA4 area applies to your SDA Dwelling?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics website has the information you need to determine the SA4 area.

Step 1: Go to the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) website

Step 2: Select the icon for "Geocoder search"

Step 3: In the field that says “Choose a boundary type” select “2021 Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4)” from the drop-down options.

Step 4: Input the dwelling address.

Step 5: Click on the map and the results will be displayed as shown below.

Geography type: Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) (2021) 
Name: Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains 
Code: 124 
 
The resulting name field (shown highlighted above) is the SA4 Location. 

Once the name of the location area is determined by the above steps, it is as easy as locating the area in the location column of the Appendix E – of the NDIS SDA Price Guide to obtain the Location Factor based on a particular dwelling type.

[Image description: Image above is a snapshot of Appendix E-Location Factor of the NDIS SDA Price Guide]

Liked our article? Follow us on LinkedIn for more articles on SDA or contact us on admin@accessarchitects.com.au

Disclaimer: This article is based on Vista Access Architect’s personal interpretation of what determines Location factor. This article is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquires directly with NDIA.

SDA Density Restrictions

"How many SDA participants can be accommodated in a development and in particular in a multi-unit residential building?". This is a very common question that we are asked by SDA developers and the answer is not that straightforward.

There are several factors to consider including the total number of people that can be accommodated in the building, the configuration of units/dwellings available and the particular configuration of the unit/dwelling that the SDA participant will occupy.

To break down the requirements, we need to understand the following:

1. NDIS document that discusses Density Restrictions.

The document that discusses the density requirements is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020, ItemSubdivision 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) existing stock.

(2) If the density restriction applies in relation to a parcel of land, the total number of eligible participants that can receive funding for specialist disability accommodation in relation to all dwellings located on the parcel of land must not exceed:

(a) if one of the dwellings on the parcel of land is enrolled to house 3 or more residents—the greater of the following:
(i) 10 eligible participants;
(ii) 10% of the total number of residents capable of residing on the parcel of land, assuming one resident per bedroom;

or

(b) if all of the enrolled dwellings on the parcel of land are enrolled to house no more than 2 residents and the dwellings are part of an intentional community—the greater of the following:
(i) 15 eligible participants;
(ii) 25% of the total number of residents capable of residing on the parcel of land, assuming one resident per bedroom;

or

(c) if all of the enrolled dwellings on the parcel of land are enrolled to house no more than 2 residents and the dwellings are not part of an intentional community—the greater of the following:
(i) 15 eligible participants;
(ii) 15% of the total number of residents capable of residing on the parcel of land, assuming one resident per bedroom.

2. Undersatnding words that are noted NDIS SDA Rules 2020 that deal with Density Restrictions.

a. ‘A parcel of land’ (defined under NDIS SDA rules 2020)

A parcel of land is:
(a) for land in New South Wales:
(i) the land that forms a parcel for the purposes of the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW); or
(ii) the land that forms a community parcel, neighbourhood parcel of precinct parcel for the purposes of the Community Land Development Act 1989 (NSW); or
(iii) for land not covered by subparagraph (i) or (ii)—the land covered by a folio of the Register for the purposes of the Real Property Act 1900(NSW);
or
(b) for land in Victoria:
(i) the land covered by a registered plan for the purposes of the Subdivision Act 1988 (Vic.); or
(ii) for land not covered by subparagraph (i)—the land covered by a folio of the Register for the purposes of the Transfer of Land Act 1958 (Vic.);
or 
(c) for land in Queensland:
(i) the land covered by a mixed use scheme for the purposes of the Mixed Use Development Act 1993 (Qld); or
(ii) the land covered by a building units plan or a group titles plan for the purposes of the Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980 (Qld); or
(iii) the land covered by a community titles scheme for the purposes of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld); or
(iv) for land not covered by subparagraphs (i) to (iii)—the land that comprises a lot for the purposes of the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld);
Other rules apply for other states and territories.

b. ‘Ennrolled dwelling’
is a dwelling that complies with all the requirements of NDIS SDA which would then enable it to be enrolled with the NDIS as an SDA dwelling.

c. ‘Participant’ (defined under NDIS Act 2013)
means a person who is a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. In this case the participant means a person who is funded for SDA.

d. ‘Residents’
are the total number of occupants of the entire development on a single parcel of land. Total resident numbers are determined on the assumption that one resident occupies one bedroom. This means that the number of participants with SDA in their plan intended to reside in the dwelling may be lower than the number of residents for which the dwelling is being enrolled. Example, a three bedroom apartment could have 2 participants and 1 non SDA resident.

e. ‘Intentional communities’(Defined under NDIS SDA rules 2020)
An intentional community is a residential community with the following features:
(a) the community is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion,achieved through teamwork and agreed shared values;
(b) the members of the community have chosen to live together based on common social values and have committed to the principle of mutual support;
(c) the community has a defined and explicit agreement under which residents have agreed to live in accordance with shared common values, including the principle of mutual support;
(d) the community is controlled by the members or residents and is not governed by a single entity such as a support provider;
(e) the community includes general market housing, and is not solely designed to provide supported accommodation services.

3. What does 'enrolled to house 3 or more residents' mean?

The Clauses on density, permits the SDA participant numbers to be 10% or 15% of the total number of residents based on type of dwelling being enrolled (example 1 or 2 bedroom dwelling verses 3 or more bedroom dwelling). Therefore the applicable percentage is based on whether a SDA participant is going to occupy a 1 or 2 bedroom dwelling verses a 3 or more bedroom dwelling. So for example even if there are a combination of 2 and 3 bedroom units in a residential building and all the SDA participants will be occupying just the 2 bedroom unit type then a percentage of 15% will apply.

The answer derived by the applicable percentage is then compared to the max number permissible (10 or 15) and the greater number of the two is the maximum permissible density.

Want it simplified even further ?

Use our NDIS SDA Density Calculator to find the density requirement in just a few clicks.

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates and more articles on Specialist Disability Accommodation.

Disclaimer:
This calculator is based only on Vista Access Architect’s personal interpretation of density restrictions noted in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2016. This calculator is not endorsed by the NDIA and users are advised to make their own inquires in regard to density directly with NDIA. Use calculator at your own risk. Vista Access Architects shall not be held liable for use of the Calculator.

'LRV Contrast' App developed by Vista Access Architects and BEZAPPS for calculating LRV (Luminance Reflectance Value) Contrast has just been judged as a finalist in the 2019 Australian Access Awards for the Educational App of the year category.

The awards are an initiative of Centre for Accessibility The role of the Centre for Accessibility is to empower the accessibility movement and encourage organisations to implement digital access when designing online resources. In 2019 they announced the inaugural Australian Access Awards, celebrating organisations that have successfully implemented accessibility in their digital campaigns or resources.

The LRV / Luminance Contrast Calculator is an easy to use educational tool, available in an online version on our website at https://www.accessarchitects.com.au/calculators and also available to download for free at the AppStore link for iphones / Apple devices and GooglePlay link for Android devices.

The majority of people who are blind or vision impaired have some vision. The purpose of the LRV Contrast App is to assist with selection of colours for building elements to enhance access to information and navigation of the built environment for people with vision impairment.

This is based on not the colour contrast but the luminance contrast which is the light reflected from one surface compared to the light reflected from another surface.

The LRV Contrast App can calculate the luminance contrast based on the LRV of a colour which is easily available from all colour/paint suppliers or on paint samples / fandecks. While the surface or paint finish also plays a role in the Luminance Contrast, it is anticipated that this App will assist with colour selections, at the design stage itself and assist as an educational tool for designers and builders.

The App has been designed to check if compliance could be met with minimum contrast requirements of building elements such as doorways, stairway nosing, toilet seats, signage and different types of Tactile Ground Surface Indicators as mandated under the NCC (Australian National Consruction Code). The formula is based on the Bowman-Sapolinski Equation as required by the NCC (National Construction Code) and Australian Standards AS1428.

It also has a feature to check for compliance with American DDA (Americans with Disabilities Act) LRV requirements.

Today has been an absolute career highlight day with the launch of the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standard by the Hon Stuart Robert MP, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Being the lead author of the NDIS SDA Design Standard has been challenging, but also rewarding to know that it will significantly raise the bar of accommodation designed for people with disabilities.

I would like to thank everyone who provided feedback during the consultation process. But in particular I would like to thank Toni McInnes and Alison McLeod from NDIA, Bruce Bromley and Eric Martin from my technical writing team, Stuart Christie and Alex Waldren from LHA, for being an integral part of this 10 month long journey with me to develop the very first NDIS Design Standard for SDA.

SDA Design Standard is available for download from the NDIS website.

The SDA Design Standard sets out the future requirements of well designed and built form of new SDA. The NDIA recognises that new build SDA projects will be underway during this time and acknowledgment of these is important, so as to not disrupt the increase to the supply of SDA.

The NDIS SDA implementation plan sets out the timing and requirements in the lead up to the Design Standard taking full effect.

Farah Madon was awarded the 2019 Access Inclusion Award for being the Access Consultant for a Specialist Disability Accomodation designed by Stanton Dhal Architects which demonstrated an outstanding level of Access and Inclusion. 

The award was presented by the Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Ben Gauntlett at the National 2019 Access Conference Dinner hosted by the Association of Consultants in Access Australia.

Farah Madon was awarded the 2019 Penrith Citizen of the Year.

Below are the details as presented by Penrith City Council.

Mrs Farah Madon supports our local residents living with a disability and champions accessibility equality for all on a national level. 

Farah has dedicated herself to helping people with a disability who live, work or utilise services within the Penrith and surrounding areas. As a management commitee member of Penrith Disabilities Resource Center and Chairperson of Penrith Disabilities Action Forum she has been a key voice in advocating for and representing the needs of local residents with access needs. As a long-serving community representative member of Penrith City Council's Access Committee, Farah's knowledge has been invaluable in assisting Council to continue improving access for people of all abilities across the City.

Farah is Vice President of the Association of Consultants in Access Australia, the peak national body for access consultancy and a major partner in advancing equity of the built environment for people with a disability. Based on her thorough knowledge of the Australian Standards and the Australian Disability Discrimination Act she is also held in esteem as editor of the association's magazne, 'Access Insight'.

 Read more about the awards on https://westernweekender.com.au/2019/01/council-honours-dedicated-citizens/

Vista Access Architects have just certified a new Changing Places facility at Westfield, Blacktown NSW.

We can provide both; Pre-construction design assessment for the proposed internal layout and Certification services for your Changing Places project. Congratulations to the team at Construction Control for fantastic outcome. 

For more information visit Changing places  or Download Changing Places resource kit.

Contact us on admin@accessarchitects.com.au for your next Changing Places Project.

Vista Access Architects recently provided pro-bono Disabilty Access Consultancy services for Sunnyfield Disability Services. 

Sunnyfield is a member based, registered not-for-profit charity. Guided by their values of respect, trust, honesty and innovation, it is their mission to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disability through person-centred active support that creates choice, opportunities and skills for life.

Day to day, they deliver services for over 1800 clients, including young children, teenagers, adults and seniors with disabilities.

I was delighted to be a part of the Advisory team, providing pro-bono advice on the new "Everyone can play" the Guidelines for desiging inclusive playgrounds, an initiative of the NSW Government. 

Every child, with or without a disability deserves the opportunity to be able to play in an inclusive environment.

These guidelines aim to achieve that and much more providing background stories, best practice design recommendations and evaluation checklists. 

A copy of the Everyone Can Play Guideline can be downloaded from HERE