Key features of high-quality Specialised Disability Accommodation

Specialised disability accommodation is very important when it comes to ensuring that Australians with disability live their best lives unaided. So far, the disability housing system has been catering to people who need special support. Currently, there are millions of people who live in special houses around the world because of their disabilities. As these people are catered to in this houses, there are more people all over the world who are looking for the right disability-friendly housing.

Before they choose the right option, they will have to understand the features that come with the house. In this guide, we take a deep dive on how you can easily choose a high-quality SDA just be looking at the different components.

The importance of SDAs for people who have support needs

As more people become old and become in need for special care and support, the number of people who need these SDAs tend to increase. In this case, provisions have been made by the agencies in charge to make these houses available. This is why in the market, you can easily spot an SDA that cater to people who need a particular support. These people have a type of illness or disability that is stopping them from living a normal life.

In many cases, old age can force them to want to use a special house. The next step for such people is to apply to the agency in charge to get their own houses. Since these people are not able to afford these special houses, the units are available with the use of financial aids from the agencies in charge. 

Opportunities for investors 

For investors looking to make some money, there is no better time to invest in NDIS quality SDA living accommodation than now. The market is relatively new and has so many opportunities for people wiling to invest in that part of the property market. So, what needs to happen here is that investors can form a partnership with the body in charge to build more SDAs that meet the needs of certain people. As they make these houses available, they can make a lot of money because there is a current demand in the market for this special type of house.

The body in charge of the scheme has a process in place to ensure that all investors get the money that they invest in the programme as well as their profits. This industry has been in existence for about five years and is worth about 9 figures.  When investing in SDAs, it is important for investors to know what comes with a high-quality housing unit.

Key features of high-quality SDAs

As many investors enter the market with their SDAs, the industry is growing rapidly. This means more housing options for disabled Australians. However, it is now more important to check SDA housing features before you choose one. In this case, you want to make sure that you check for the different parts of the building to know of they meet your needs:

Should be close to amenities: Before you choose an SDA, you want to be sure that it is close to different social amenities. People who are disabled need to go out enough to be able to use some amenities in the community. This is why it is important for such houses to be located in a place where the residents can easily go out and use these amenities.

In this case, they can easily move about and interact with people which is very important for their health and well-being. Lastly, you want to make sure that they can easily access basic amenities such as shops, hospitals, gyms, recreation centres, and so on. 

Comply with building codes and standards: A specialised disability accommodation should comply with the necessary building codes and standards. This is because the NDIS has special quality SDA standards that investors or builders must follow when it comes to making the houses available for disabled people. Complying with SDA standards means that the housing units come with important building components such as safety devices, fire detection/suppression equipment, and other devices that ensure the well-being of the residents of the property. 

Presence of supporting amenities for disabled people: A high-quality SDA should be built with disabled people in mind. This means that you want to check for the presence of special amenities such as wheelchair access, ramps, handrails, wider doorways, and so on. For example, best practices in SDA design usually prioritize provision of accessible bathrooms with special toilets that have unique plumbing configurations, grab bars, shower benches/chairs, roll-in showers, custom bathroom cabinets (height-adjustable), adjustable shower heads,  discreet areas for staff, and so on. Spacious bathrooms are usually recommended with enough circulation space – this is to be designed with full wheelchair access and accessibility. 

Should promote independence among the building participants: When it comes to NDIS quality SDA living houses, there is the need to design or modify a house to support independence among the building residents. A key factor in the design of high-quality SDAs is the ability to build the house in such a way that the participants can live without needing anyone’s help. It should support their rights to make their own choices without any external assistance. Regardless of whether they are disabled or not, they have the right to make choices on their own. This is the dignity of risk and it enables them to learn and grow. 

Inclusion of hoist systems: SDAs should be designed thoughtfully to come with ceiling hoists. Designing such building components are part of the best practices that is recommended by the NDIS for the design of SDAs. With structural elements like ceiling hoists, you can ensure the well-being and safety for the participants and support staff in the residential facilities. 

Presence of assistive technology: One of the key features of high-quality specialised disability accommodation is the presence of assistive technology. This means that such housing units should come with such features like environmental controls (e.g temperature control, automated lighting, and so on), touch sensors, controlled doors (electronics), and so on. To ensure that the SDA is really high-quality, SDA providers usually work with the disabled residents to ensure that the provided assistive technology meet their needs and requirements. 

Large living spaces and adjustable kitchens: When looking for housing units that meet quality SDA standards, disabled people usually look out for these features. One way to know an SDA that is high-quality is the fact that it comes wit special components that are not available in normal houses. For example, it is possible to get cabinets in the kitchen to be able to be lowered to a level where somebody can cook from a wheelchair.

Similarly, such a house can come with a furniture that you can adapt in order to allow you to easily move in the house. In the same way, they can also get their furniture adapted or be made flexible to allow easy movement and enhance comfort. 

SDAs help enhance the safety of the residents: SDAs are known to promote the safety of the people that live in the property. In the same way, it also makes it easy for the residents to be able to access the different areas of the house. The key features of such a house should be able to make their lives a lot easier and more comfortable. To promote accessibility and safety in the facility, the SDA should come with wide doorways to ensure that wheelchairs can easily move about.

In this case, the flooring of the house should be built with the right materials to make sure that the residents of the house are safe. Then again, you want to consider installing different components like ramps to allow the people move from one level of the house to the next. Also, such high-quality houses are built to come with special lights that are used to make sure that the people in them are able to see properly. If they are able to see properly, then certain accidents can be easily avoided.

Comes with private spaces that are secure: One about SDAs that are known as high-quality is the fact that they come with special areas that en sure privacy. These private zones are also secured and can be used by the staff who work in the houses. These areas are important in the case of emergencies where the staff and other residents can flee to for safety. This is one of the key features of specialised disability accommodation but can be missing in many housing units. 

Provisions for emergency: High-quality specialised disability accommodation facilities come with emergency provisions as some key features. Examples of such items include backup power systems in the case of an outage. Some participants may need power to perform certain tasks. The absence of power in such instances mean that they many not be able to function adequately.

It is important for an SDA to also come with quality communication systems that can easily connect the residents of the SDA to the outside world. This is very important in the case of emergency such as fire or a medical emergency. Lastly, the SDA should be designed in such a way that it can be easily and quickly accessed by support staff.

Barrier-free flooring: Disabled people get around with all types of mobility equipment that work on barrier-free flooring. In this case, a specialised disability accommodation facility will want to ensure that the flooring is smooth and free from obstacles. There should not be any steps and the flooring surface should be continuous all the way to the outdoor area. In addition, the bathroom and shower area should not be built with any threshold as this can make bathing very difficult for the residents. 

Soundproof walls: A high-quality specialised disability accommodation should be built with sufficient soundproofing to be able to minimize noise. This is possible with the use of durable and flexible materials to promote well-being among the residents in the facility.