Accessible Housing

Accessible housing refers to properties designed or modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities or special needs, ensuring ease of access and use.

What is accessible housing?

Accessible housing refers to properties designed or modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities or special needs, ensuring ease of access and use. These homes are equipped with features that make them more navigable and usable for people with mobility challenges or other impairments.

What’s considered an accessible home design?

An example of a home with an accessible design could be one featuring wider doorways and hallways, lever-style handles on doors and faucets, a stepless entry, and adaptable spaces that can accommodate wheelchair users or individuals with mobility challenges.

Accessible housing standards in Australia

In Australia, the primary standard used for accessible housing is the Livable Housing Design Standard, outlined by the National Construction Code. 

These guidelines promote the construction or modification of homes with three different levels of accessibility:

  • Silver level: focuses on visitability, ensuring basic access on the ground floor, including an entry path, entrance door, and toilet facilities that accommodate visitors with mobility limitations.
  • Gold level: introduces a higher level of accessibility, providing more features for residents, such as step-free entry, wider doorways, and a bathroom with enhanced accessibility.
  • Platinum level: it includes features like step-free access to the main entrance, wider internal doorways, reinforced walls for grab rail installation, and a more accessible bathroom.

While not mandatory, incorporating these guidelines can significantly improve the usability and longevity of a property, making it more adaptable for residents with varying needs over time.

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