NSW political leaders could improve housing accessibility for Aussies with disability in upcoming meeting

Key points:

• Approximately 16 percent of Australians with disability experience discrimination compared to less than 13 percent of peers without disability
• The Building Better Homes campaign encourages Australians to sign its open letter for NSW politicians to make housing more accessible for people with disability
• The Disability Discrimination Act was established to make discrimination unlawful, but until the NSW Government agrees to mandate the Livable Housing Design Standards, people with disability will struggle to find accessible housing

Approximately 16 percent of Australians with disability experience discrimination compared to less than 13 percent of peers without disability.

Building Better Homes is asking Australians to sign an open letter to NSW political leaders to improve housing opportunities for people with disability.

Building Better Homes representatives will meet at 10:30am on Tuesday, August 8, 2024, at Martin Place, opposite Parliament House in the Sydney CBD. 

Keynote speakers will express the need for accessible housing for people with disability in NSW and the signed open letter will be presented to NSW politicians. You can sign the open letter on the Building Better Homes website.

Other organisations such as People with Disability Australia and the Physical Disability Council of NSW advocate for changes in the NSW Government’s attitude to providing accessible housing for people with disability.

PWDA President Marayke Jonkers expressed concern as the NSW Government has not yet agreed to the mandatory design standards that will make NSW housing more accessible.

“When you build for people with disability, you build for everyone. The failure to commit NSW to the Livable Housing Design Standards means we are denying disabled people the right to safe and affordable homes,” she said.

The Disability Discrimination Act was created to ‘make it unlawful to discriminate against a person in many areas of public life.’ This includes aspects such as employment, education and renting or buying a home or unit, either directly or indirectly.

An example of direct discrimination may occur when a person is denied entry into a venue because they are blind and have a guide dog. A person using a wheelchair to enter a venue that only has stairs would be experiencing indirect discrimination. 

In the open letter, Building Better Homes emphasises that ‘the lack of accessible housing in NSW unnecessarily forces people into specialist disability housing or aged care rather than a home to call their own. This affects people’s quality of life, puts more pressure on the NDIS and increases costs for [the] government.’

Building Better Homes campaign spokeswoman Jessica Walker commented on the predicted minimal effort required to make housing more accessible for Australians with disability.

“The design standards are not difficult or expensive — they simply require developers to include things like a step-free shower and level entry to new houses,” she said. 

“The Australian Building Codes Board modelling for these standards shows they would only add about one percent to the cost of a new build.” 

The NSW Government will create up to 30,000 new houses in the Building Homes for NSW program, as was announced in the latest NSW state budget. However, NSW and Western Australia are the only remaining state governments yet to approve mandatory standards that will make housing more accessible for people with disability.

Approximately 25,900 clients who received support from specialist homelessness services live with disability, according to recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

There are national minimum standards that must be followed during the construction of a building to ensure the safety of all future occupants, regardless of their disability status.

The mandatory seven standards for the structure of new buildings are:

• entryways with level access;
• at least one entrance that doesn’t require steps;
• an easy-access toilet on the ground floor;
• a step-free shower recess;
• wide doorways and corridors with enough space for movement;
• suitably designed staircases if in a multi-level home; and
• reinforced walls around the toilet.

Although grab rails near the toilet may not always be installed for new builds, reinforced walls are required so that they can be installed at a later date if needed. 

Declan, a Northern Beaches resident with cerebral palsy, supported the motion for the NSW Government to approve the mandatory design standards.

“We’re not asking for much — we’re just asking to make sure we get our wheels in the front door,” he said.

General physical accessibility issues can also affect how people with disability search for accommodation. The general house layout can cause challenges for people living with disability and extra consideration should be given to reduce this issue.

Additionally, having a bathroom and kitchen with an easy-to-navigate layout and access to outdoor views is important. With good public transport nearby, people who can’t drive can still access services and amenities and engage in employment.

Julie, another disability and youth advocate, expressed her desire for the NSW Government to accept the Livable Housing Design Standards.

“It would change my life to have a fully accessible home. I feel abandoned by the NSW Government — they are disregarding the needs of people with disability and the basic human rights we have as citizens of NSW,” said Julie.

Have you experienced housing discrimination because of your disability?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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