Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standards Australia: Complete FAQ Guide
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- Saturday, 28 February 2026 08:42
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Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standards Australia: Complete FAQ Guide
As accredited access consultants with Sydney Access Consultants (Australia) and Sydney Access Consultants (Malaysia) PLT, we strongly support the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standard. It ensures high-quality, purpose-built homes that remove barriers for people with disability while creating safer, more usable spaces for everyone — whether pushing a pram, delivering goods, visiting with mobility aids, or simply enjoying everyday living.
The current NDIS SDA Design Standard (Edition 1.1, published October 2019) applies to all new and new-build refurbished SDA dwellings from 1 July 2021. It defines four distinct design categories, as set out in the SDA Rules (2020). Each category tailors housing to specific support needs while complying with the National Construction Code (NCC), the AS 1428 series of Australian Standards for design for access and mobility, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).
Below we answer the most common questions under each of the four categories, plus practical guidance for providers, architects and developers across NSW, the Mid North Coast, Perth and Western Australia.
Improved Liveability
What is the Improved Liveability design category? This category provides reasonable physical access together with enhanced features for people with sensory, intellectual, or cognitive impairments. It creates calmer, easier-to-navigate homes with better wayfinding and reduced sensory overload.
Who benefits most from Improved Liveability SDA? Participants with autism, intellectual disability, vision or hearing impairment, or cognitive conditions who need a supportive but less intensive physical-access environment. Many families and support providers choose this category because it feels more like a standard home while still offering meaningful improvements.
What are the key design requirements?
- Minimum 820 mm clear door openings and 1 000 mm corridors.
- Step-free access from car parking (with limited concessions from the site boundary).
- Practical sanitary facilities (900 mm × 900 mm hobless shower, forward approach to WC).
- 1 000 mm clearance in front of kitchen and laundry benches.
- High luminance contrast on doorways, floors and walls; easy-to-see switches and handles at consistent heights.
- Robust but homely materials, slip-resistant flooring (P3 or R10), and provisions for assistive technology such as high-speed internet.
These features help everyone move more confidently and reduce accidents for all occupants.
Robust
What is the Robust design category? Robust SDA delivers reasonable physical access in a highly resilient home built to withstand heavy use and minimise maintenance, repair costs and safety risks.
Who is Robust SDA designed for? Participants with complex behavioural support needs, acquired brain injury, or conditions that may involve higher-risk behaviours. It also suits group homes where durability protects residents, staff and the building itself.
What are the key design requirements?
- Same core access levels as Improved Liveability (820 mm doors, 1 000 mm corridors, practical sanitary and kitchen spaces).
- High-impact wall linings to 2.4 m height, vandal-resistant fixtures, reinforced doors and frames.
- Sound insulation between bedrooms and living areas.
- Recessed lighting, rounded corners, and secure “retreat” or safe spaces for de-escalation.
- Egress layouts that allow quick, safe movement for staff and residents.
Robust homes stay safer and more comfortable for longer — benefiting all users and lowering long-term costs for providers and the NDIS.
Fully Accessible
What is the Fully Accessible design category? This category provides a high level of physical access for people with significant mobility impairments, ensuring wheelchair users can live independently with minimal assistance.
Who benefits most from Fully Accessible SDA? Participants who use manual or powered wheelchairs, walkers or other mobility aids and need barrier-free movement throughout the entire dwelling.
What are the key design requirements?
- 900 mm minimum clear door openings and 1 200 mm corridors.
- Fully step-free access from the site boundary, with 1 500 mm × 1 500 mm landings and AS 1428.1-compliant circulation spaces.
- Larger 3 800 mm × 5 400 mm car parking space (with roof where required).
- AS 1428.1-compliant sanitary facilities: 1 160 mm × 1 100 mm hobless shower, 1 900 mm × 2 300 mm circulation at the WC, height-adjustable or fixed accessible bench in the kitchen with 1 550 mm clearance.
- Lever or sensor tapware, knee and toe clearance under sinks, and slip-resistant flooring.
These practical, inclusive features also make the home far easier for parents with prams, delivery drivers, older visitors and anyone carrying heavy loads.
High Physical Support
What is the High Physical Support design category? This is the most intensive category. It combines all Fully Accessible requirements with structural and technical provisions for people who need extensive daily physical assistance.
Who is High Physical Support SDA intended for? Participants with very high physical support needs — often those who use ceiling hoists, electric wheelchairs that require wide turning circles, or who need frequent transfers and equipment support from carers.
What are the key design requirements?
- All Fully Accessible features plus 950 mm clear door openings in key locations.
- Structural reinforcement and power supply ready for 250 kg ceiling hoists in bedrooms (and bathrooms where required).
- Optional peninsular-style WC layout for easier side transfers and adult-change facilities.
- Two-hour emergency power backup to at least two double GPOs per bedroom and automated doors.
- 1 550 mm clearances, height-adjustable benches, and full AS 1428.1 compliance throughout.
High Physical Support homes give participants and their support teams the safest, most efficient environment possible while still feeling like a home.
How do these categories improve access for everyone, not just NDIS participants? Every SDA design removes barriers that affect the broader community. Wider doors, step-free entries, lever handles, contrast markings, and durable surfaces benefit parents with prams, delivery workers, older Australians, visitors with temporary injuries, and maintenance staff alike. Sensible, universal design is at the heart of what we recommend.
How can Sydney Access Consultants help with SDA projects? We provide accredited SDA Design Standard assessments (design-stage and as-built), performance solutions under the NCC, and expert advice on choosing the right category for your project.
Our Mid North Coast branch, led by qualified access consultant and educator Alexandra (Sandy) Gray, is based full-time at Black Beach and ready to deliver local SDA audits, reports and training on the NSW Mid North Coast. We are also expanding our Perth and Western Australia services with designs that respect local community preferences and sensitivities.
If you are planning, designing or certifying an SDA dwelling in Sydney, the Mid North Coast, Perth or anywhere across Australia, our experienced team is here to make sure every home we help create is safe, inclusive and built for the long term.