Disability Access Inspections and the Premises Standards: What Commercial Owners Must Know

The Disability (Access to Premises. Buildings) Standards 2010 are made under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. They define minimum accessibility requirements for new buildings and for new work in existing buildings. The Premises Standards are referenced through the National Construction Code, which means building surveyors and certifiers apply them as part of the normal approval process.

The technical detail lives in the AS 1428 series, the access and mobility standards covering paths of travel, ramps, lifts, doors, sanitary facilities, signage, and tactile ground surface indicators. Inspectors and access consultants use these standards to assess specific elements and identify gaps.

Compliance is not a one-time event. New work, refurbishments, fit-outs, change of use, additions, typically triggers Premises Standards application to the affected area, and sometimes to paths of travel from the building entrance to the affected area. Owners often discover that a small fit-out unexpectedly requires upgrade of the building entry, lift, or sanitary facilities.

An independent access audit is the right tool. Members of the Association of Consultants in Access Australia (ACAA) commonly undertake these audits, producing a report that identifies non-compliances by reference to the relevant standard, with prioritised rectification recommendations.

DDA complaints are a real risk for non-compliant buildings. The cost of remediation usually rises sharply once a complaint has been made.