1A-02Schedule 1
Four building types
Schedule 1 names four SDA building types, each with a Building Code of Australia class. The NDIA points providers to Schedule 1 to identify the right type when applying to enrol. Its 2026–27 Pricing Schedule lists each type’s features, all given below in plain words.
| Type | Class | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment | Class 2 | Self-contained, taking up only part of a larger residential building, and typically built above or below another dwelling. A self-contained dwelling separated from its neighbours by walls alone is not an apartment; the Schedule says it is likely to be a villa, duplex or townhouse. |
| Villa, duplex or townhouse | Class 1a or 3 | Three residents or fewer. Semi-attached, within one land title or strata-titled area. A fire-resistant wall between it and the next villa, duplex or townhouse, though existing stock does not need one. Its own reasonably accessible entry. Residents cannot pass inside from one dwelling to another; restricted internal access may exist for support staff only. It may be an ancillary dwelling on the same parcel as another dwelling, a fully self-contained granny flat for example. |
| House | Class 1 or 3 | Low-rise, with gardens or a courtyard. On clearly separate land, marked off by a fence, a hedge or some other boundary. No wall, roof, entry area, driveway, carpark or outdoor area in common with another dwelling, except an ancillary villa, townhouse or duplex housing one resident at most. A parcel in proportion to the number of residents, consistent with similar properties nearby, and carrying two ancillary villas, duplexes or townhouses at most. |
| Group home | Class 1b or 3 | Set apart from other houses by having four or five long-term residents. |
The NDIA’s provider guide puts the four briefly: an apartment; a villa, duplex or townhouse; a house with up to three people; and a group home with four or five.
2A-02Schedule 2
Five design categories, in the Rules’ words
Schedule 2 sets out the SDA design categories and the features of each. The Rules spell the second one “Improved livability”.
1. Basic. “Housing without specialist design features but with a location or other features that cater for the needs of people with disability and assist with the delivery of support services.”
2. Improved livability. “Housing that has been designed to improve ‘livability’ by incorporating a reasonable level of physical access and enhanced provision for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.”
3. Fully accessible. “Housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision for people with significant physical impairment.”
4. Robust. “Housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision and be very resilient, while reducing the likelihood of reactive maintenance and reducing the risk to residents and the community.”
5. 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.”
SDA Rules 2020, Schedule 23A-02NDIA
Four design categories, in the NDIA’s words
The NDIA’s provider guide says the SDA design standard has four design categories: improved liveability, robust, fully accessible and high physical support. Its page for participants describes each with examples, summarised here.
- Improved liveability: easier physical access, plus extra features for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairments, such as walls and floors that are very easy to see.
- Fully accessible: a high level of physical access, for people with many physical challenges, for example someone who uses a wheelchair at home.
- Robust: built to be safe for the resident and others, very strong and durable, so it needs fewer repairs.
- High physical support: a high level of physical access, for residents who need very high levels of support, which may mean ceiling hoists, backup power, or home automation and communication technology.
4A-02Before 1 July 2021
Minimum requirements for older dwellings
The NDIA’s Pricing Arrangements for SDA 2026–27 set Minimum Design Requirements for each category other than Basic. Its Table 4 applies to existing and legacy stock, and to new build and new build (refurbished) dwellings first enrolled before the SDA Design Standard took effect on 1 July 2021. From that date, the Design Standard became the Minimum Design Requirements for dwellings that are new build or new build (refurbished). A selection of Table 4 follows.
| Category | Among the requirements |
|---|---|
| Basic | Applies only to existing or legacy stock, and cannot be included in a participant’s plan unless the participant already lives in Basic design SDA or chooses to. |
| Improved liveability | Liveable Housing Australia ‘Silver’ level. The table adds that such dwellings should include one or more extra features, depending on the participants’ needs, such as luminance contrasts, improved wayfinding or lines of sight. |
| Fully accessible | Liveable Housing Australia ‘Platinum’ level; external doors and private outdoor areas a wheelchair can reach; a basin usable seated or standing; power to doors and window blinds so automation can be added; and thought given to whether the kitchen sink, cooktop, preparation bench and key appliances, laundry appliances included, should be usable seated or standing. |
| Robust | A layout with areas where staff and other residents can leave or retreat to avoid harm if required; and thought given to providing enough space and safeguards across the property for residents with complex behaviours. |
| High physical support | Structural provision for ceiling hoists; emergency power for an outage of at least two hours where participants’ welfare is at risk; and doors to every habitable room with a clear opening of at least 950mm. |
New builds follow the Design Standard itself, on sheet A-03. The application that names the type and category is on sheet A-01, and the cover sheet is A-00.