
SDA Design Categories
For accommodation to be suitable for SDA participants, it must comply with certain standards and characteristics that meet participants’ needs and the nature of their disability.
There are 5 broad categories of SDA design, each of which is assessed against a relevant Livable Housing Australia design standard. To have a home certified for SDA, it needs to be certified by a Livable Housing Assessor. Optimal Living Therapy can provide comprehensive Livable Housing Assessments and Certifications through site and desktop audits.
SDA is based on five broad categories of design:
- Basic
- Improved Livability
- Fully Accessible
- Robust
- High Physical Support
The relevance of a design category in relation to proposed SDA shall be determined in conjunction with the users of the building, to ensure the design is appropriate to support the needs of the occupants.
Furthermore, to ensure that buildings are capable of meeting the needs of participant’s who will be residing in the dwelling, it’s essential that all designs include features to enhance livability for participant’s appropriate to their needs.
SDA design category | Definition | Minimum Requirements for New Builds |
Basic | Housing without specialised design features but with other important SDA characteristics (e.g. location, privacy, shared supports). | Available for Existing Stock only. |
Improved Livability | Housing that has been designed toimprove ‘Livability’ by incorporating a reasonable level of physical access and enhanced provision for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment |
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Fully Accessible | Housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision for people with significant physical impairment |
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Robust | Housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision and be very resilient, reducing the likelihood of reactive maintenance and reducing the risk to the participant and the community. |
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High Physical Support | Housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision for people with significant physical impairment and requiring very high levels of support. | All requirements listed in the ‘Fully Accessible’ design category, plus:
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All | Applicable to all categories | In all cases, SDA should:
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DESCRIPTION OF SDA DESIGN CATEGORIES – Source: NDIS https://www.ndis.gov.au/html/sites/default/files/files/SDA/SDA%20Decision%20Paper.pdf