Disabled Access Consultancy


	disabled access and australian legislation

			................................................................................................................... Disabled Access Consultancy can assist in interpreting the mandatory requirements that reside within disability discrimination legislation, the Building Code of Australia, state building regulations, and Australian standards, for accessibility for people with disabilities. Australian standards relevant to access for people with disabilities, primarily the AS1428 suite, provide detailed technical specifications for achieving accessibility and usability of buildings and facilities. Whilst the requirements of relevant Australian standards are not mandatory in themselves, where building regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act invoke them, they or parts of them become mandatory. The use of enhanced standards is encouraged. A revision of the Building Code of Australia (the Draft Access Code for Buildings), of the Disability Discrimination Act, and of relevant Australian standards is almost complete, and is expected to take effect soon. The introduction of the 'Premises Standard' is imminent. Using the expert assistance and advice of an accredited access consultant can be useful for practitioners to help identify and interpret imminent changes, and to obtain peer review of any reliance on the Deemed to Satisfy and Alternative Solutions provisions of the performance based Building Code of Australia. It is not uncommon for legislative requirements to compete directly for ascendancy. Examples include imposing some elements of disability access requirements on a heritage listed property, or a childcare centre. Disabled Access Consultancy is able to offer sound advice in this respect.

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Disabled Access Consultancy can assist in interpreting the mandatory requirements that reside within disability discrimination legislation, the Building Code of Australia, state building regulations, and Australian standards, for accessibility for people with disabilities.

Australian standards relevant to access for people with disabilities, primarily the AS1428 suite, provide detailed technical specifications for achieving accessibility and usability of buildings and facilities. Whilst the requirements of relevant Australian standards are not mandatory in themselves, where building regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act invoke them, they or parts of them become mandatory. The use of enhanced standards is encouraged.

A revision of the Building Code of Australia (the Draft Access Code for Buildings), of the Disability Discrimination Act, and of relevant Australian standards is almost complete, and is expected to take effect soon. The introduction of the 'Premises Standard' is imminent.

Using the expert assistance and advice of an accredited access consultant can be useful for practitioners to help identify and interpret imminent changes, and to obtain peer review of any reliance on the Deemed to Satisfy and Alternative Solutions provisions of the performance based Building Code of Australia.

It is not uncommon for legislative requirements to compete directly for ascendancy. Examples include imposing some elements of disability access requirements on a heritage listed property, or a childcare centre. Disabled Access Consultancy is able to offer sound advice in this respect.