Vista Access Architects are now registered as NDIS Accredited SDA Assessors

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.

VAA SDA assessors

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.