Access Institute is pleased to confirm that we have developed and lodged a comprehensive submission to the current Review of the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standard.
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in access consulting education, assessor training, industry leadership and SDA practitioner support, our submission highlights the importance of:
- maintaining strong, participant-centred design outcomes
- improving clarity and consistency in interpretation and assessment
- recognising the realities of as-built construction and certification
- strengthening evidence expectations to support defensible decision-making
- ensuring the Standard remains responsive to emerging technology, support models and housing forms
Our submission reflects feedback and insights from:
- Accredited SDA Assessors
- Access Consultants and allied professionals
- housing providers and developers
- educators and emerging practitioners
- people with disability and families who interact with SDA housing
A key theme throughout our response is the need to balance:
- technical certainty for industry, with
- flexibility to deliver meaningful, functional outcomes for participants.
We also emphasise the importance of assessor competence, training quality, and robust certification processes to ensure SDA housing remains safe, sustainable and fit-for-purpose.
Access Institute remains strongly committed to supporting:
- high-quality SDA design and assessment practice
- professional standards across the sector
- continuous improvement in training, guidance and technical capability
We look forward to continuing to work with government, industry and the SDA community as the review process progresses.
If you would like to a copy or to discuss any aspect of our submission, or the future direction of SDA assessor education and professional development, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
