Specialist Disability Accommodation
It is a long standing fact that people with significant disabilities have limited suitable housing options. The housing options that are available may not enable the person to live as independently as possible. The house or unit may not be well located, and further isolate a person with a disability from family and friends, transport links and community facilities.
This is now changing with the introduction of the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Scheme. SDA refers to accommodation for people who require specialist housing solutions, to assist with the delivery of supports that cater for their extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
- SDA Design Standard – which provides clarity for SDA design requirements and introduces a process for pre-certification at the planning stage, which over time, will become mandatory in order for a new build dwelling to meet the criteria for enrolment as SDA.
- SDA Innovation Plan – which will promote development of new, high quality, fit-for-purpose and innovative housing aligned to participants’ goals and outcomes.
- SDA Limited Cost Assumptions Review – which will result in increases to a number of price limits for certain SDA categories and locations to further stimulate supply where required.
New accessible housing in being designed and built throughout Australia to cater for people with disabilities who are determined as eligible through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Design Able Living aims to support the SDA initiative through designing new accessible homes for people with high support needs. New housing involves a team of people including the person with the disability and their families, and other building consultants, including structural engineers, building surveyors, cost estimators, and town planning authorities.
