Our accredited SDA Assessors provide the expertise required to assist clients achieve compliance.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is designed to provide tailored housing solutions for individuals with diverse disabilities who require specific support. To enrol these properties with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), a certified SDA assessor must confirm that the accommodation meets the standards outlined in the SDA Design Standard, both at the design and as-built stages. Currently, the professions eligible to become accredited SDA assessors include architects, access consultants, occupational therapists, and building surveyors, all of whom must complete a specialised SDA training course.
At Architecture & Access, our dedicated teams in Brisbane and Melbourne are well-equipped to conduct SDA assessments and certifications. We have successfully evaluated dwellings across Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales within all four SDA Design categories. Our expertise enables us to support designers, builders, and providers throughout the process, ensuring optimal outcomes with a primary focus on enhancing participant livability.
Our team includes four qualified SDA assessors:
Felicity Mills – SDA Portfolio Manager
Felicity has an extensive background in accessible residential design, having worked with government and nonprofit organisations to create housing solutions that cater to diverse needs.
She became a Livable Housing Assessor in 2018 to further her education and experience as a designer in this space, and then an SDA Assessor in 2022 in conjunction with a career change to access consulting. Felicity takes great pride in seeing well-designed SDA projects come to fruition, contributing significantly to the much-needed housing for participants and their families.
Sarah McCarthy
Sarah is a senior Access Consultant and has substantial experience providing access consulting services. In addition to being an Access Consultant, Sarah is a qualified interior designer with over 15 years’ experience in the retail, health and education sectors. Working as an interior designer has given Sarah a good understanding of the building and construction industries as well as a deep understanding of the way in which people move through the built environment.
To increase the breadth of service and complement her Access Consulting credentials this year Sarah successfully became an SDA Assessor.
Helen Fearn-Wannan
Helen is an accredited SDA Assessor, qualified occupational therapist, accredited access consultant and access leader with over 20 years’ experience working with people with disability and providing access consulting services.
Helen’s SDA expertise assists clients to achieve compliance with the relevant SDA Design Guidelines. This provides participants with enhanced liveability and increased community participation.
Diana Iezzi
Diana is an architect with extensive experience in SDA projects, including both apartments and single dwellings. She has actively collaborated with participants to develop project briefs, finding this engagement particularly rewarding.
With her deep understanding of the NDIS Specialist Disability Design Guide, Diana is committed to advancing her work as an accredited SDA assessor.
Case study: Scanlan Street, East Brisbane
Architecture & Access recently certified seven new dwellings in a boutique apartment building in the inner-city suburb of East Brisbane. This project features a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, complemented by a communal barbecue and courtyard area. Each dwelling is designed to meet the benchmarks for SDA High Physical Support and Livable Housing Platinum levels, while also incorporating best practice recommendations for enhanced accessibility, including:
- Knee/toe clearance beneath kitchen and laundry sinks and cooktops
- Additional multipurpose spaces in one-bedroom apartments
- Ample storage, including deeper cupboards for medical equipment and mobility devices
The apartments showcase natural-toned colour schemes, moving away from traditional, clinical perceptions of disability accommodation to create a warm, welcoming environment suitable for residential living.
Through our ongoing commitment to quality design and participant-centred outcomes, Architecture & Access is dedicated to shaping the future of Specialist Disability Accommodation.
