SDA Design Categories – Your Guide

Finding the right Specialised Disability Accommodation (SDA) starts with understanding the categories. This guide breaks down the four SDA design categories to help you choose the best fit for your needs.

SDA are specially designed homes built to accommodate individuals with high support needs. It can be in the form of houses, apartments, villas or duplexes and are fitted out with special design features and a range of Assistive Technology.

Not everyone will benefit from the same features – what’s essential for one person may be unnecessary for another. This is why the NDIS has created SDA design categories – each containing specific design features, creating a home customised to support your unique needs.

What are the four SDA Design Categories?

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is built within four categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support and Robust.

Each SDA design category follows specific criteria outlined in the NDIS SDA Design Standard. These standards are in place to help you make the most of your NDIS SDA funding while ensuring your home is equipped with the features that best support your needs.

To determine which SDA category is best for you, the NDIS will look at how the features of each design category would reduce your support needs and how a particular design feature may or may not make it easier for you to access other supports. When selecting SDA categories, the NDIS will look at reports from your health professionals such as your Occupational Therapist along with any goals you wish to achieve.

Below are the four design category options that may be considered. It is important to understand the differences between these categories when considering SDA.

Improved Liveability

Improved Liveability (IL) caters to participants with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairments. It offers subtle design features that can significantly enhance the liveability of those who may need that extra bit of support in their home. Some of these features include contrasting walls and doors, improved wayfinding with limited corridors, task lighting and visual assistance lines. The main outcome of Improved Liveability housing is to assist you to navigate around and promote overall safety and comfort.

According to the NDIS SDA Design Standard, some of the IL housing requirements include but are not limited to:

• All corridors and passageways must be at least 120cm wide
• Luminous contrast of at least 30% between two surfaces (e.g. door leaf and door frame)
• Solid glazing strips over large areas of glass
• Colour contrast between the floor and wall

Fully Accessible

The Fully Accessible (FA) design category caters to individuals with high physical impairment. The main focus of this design is to support mobility so you can move around your home with ease. The main features of FA SDA include wider doorways and corridors, flat flooring and open-plan layouts.

According to the NDIS SDA Design Standard, some of the design requirements that are exclusive to Fully Accessible category include but are not limited to:

• Continuous accessible path from dwelling to the letterbox
• Doors to have a minimum opening of 90cm wide

This category would be most beneficial if you use a wheelchair, assisted devices or have limited mobility.

High Physical Support

The High Physical Support (HPS) design category caters to individuals with high physical impairment and require a lot of support with daily activities. Similar to the FA design category, this category features open-plan layouts, step-free accessways and wide corridors. Additionally, other provisions such as ceiling hosts and even wider door openings are required to enhance accessibility, movement and comfort for you.

In the NDIS SDA Design Standard, there are specific housing requirements for the HPS category. These requirements include, but are not limited to:

• All doors that are to be used by the participant have to have an opening of at least 95cm
• Power and control cabling must be installed above the main bedroom doorway along with one external doorway that leads to an open area for future automation
• Power and control cabling must be installed above windows for blind automation
• Each bedroom must be equipped to install and power a hoist
• Emergency power generators must be provided
• Communication technology such as video or intercom must be provided

Robust

The Robust SDA design category caters to individuals with disability such as autism, mental health conditions and other psycho-social disorders. Homes under the Robust category are built with durable and strong materials that prevent injury, neighbourhood disturbances and the need for frequent maintenance.

Some of the essential design features that are unique to the Robust SDA design category include:

• Kitchen benchtop and cabinetry shall be made of robust materials
• Any timber doors must be solid
• Any breakout rooms must be solely designed to cater for the individual disability-related needs
• The main bedroom must be sound-insulated
• All fittings and fixtures e.g. door handles must be strong and durable
• Windows must be made of shatter-free material such as laminated glass or polycarbonate

SDA Design Category Requirements and Guidelines

In order for a home to be classified as a particular SDA category, it must contain certain design features stated in the SDA Design Standard. This standard, which took effect in 2021, details the requirements for newly built SDA homes to qualify for NDIS enrolment. An SDA Assessor will assess the home to confirm it includes all the required features listed in the SDA design standard. Some of these features may include step-free accessways or room measurements, however, this will be different for each design category.

At Enliven Housing, we go beyond meeting the basic SDA design requirements. Our blended model design exceeds the requirements for all SDA categories, offering tailored solutions that cater to diverse needs. For example, our tenants can use Elker – a safeguarding and “speak up” software designed so you can raise concerns, complaints and suggestions completely anonymously. We genuinely care about our tenants, and we’re committed to providing housing that enhances your quality of life, not just meeting expectations but setting new benchmarks in SDA living.

NDIS and SDA Approval

If you believe SDA housing will benefit your support needs, you may be eligible for SDA funding. This funding is provided by the NDIS, where eligible participants can have their building and maintenance costs covered. To be eligible for SDA Improved Liveability funding, you may require one or more of the following:

• Aged between 18 and 65.
• Be an existing NDIS Participant.
• You require someone else to help you complete daily tasks or you need 1-on-1 assistance for a large portion of the day.
• You can show that SDA housing will improve, maintain or prevent your functional capacity from getting worse.
• You can show that SDA housing will create better connections with informal (e.g. friends and family) and formal (e.g. health services, education and employment) support systems.
• Must have a housing goal

Enliven Housing: Shaping SDA Living, Together

At Enliven Housing, we believe your home should empower you to live your best life. That’s why we’ve designed our SDA housing with innovative features and community-focused solutions, ensuring a comfortable and supporting living experience.

Choice Collective (formerly known as the Community Cooperative)

When you move into your home, you join our Choice Collective – an inclusive, modern and forward-thinking housing solution designed so you can get the most from your NDIS core support budget. By joining this governance framework, you and other fellow tenants will be the primary influence in decision-making in regards to your SDA housing arrangement and shared support.

Our Choice Collective is used and loved by our tenants across all our SDA locations. Watch the video below to see why!

Assistive Technology (AT)

At Enliven Housing, we believe in creating living spaces where our tenants can thrive. That’s why we integrate cutting-edge AT into all of our SDA homes. By incorporating features like Amazon Alexa smart home technology, we enable voice-controlled automation for everyday tasks such as adjusting lighting or operating blinds. Whether you’re in a Fully Accessible, High Physical Support or any other SDA category home, our commitment to personalised AT ensures that each space is equipped to meet your unique needs.

Choose Australia’s Most Trusted SDA Housing Provider

Understanding the SDA design categories Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support or Robust, is a crucial step in ensuring your living environment truly supports your comfort and quality of life.

Our SDA homes are a combination of Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible and High Physical Support designs and are available in NSW, VIC, ACT, WA, SA and QLD.

If you’re looking for SDA options, Enliven Housing is here to make your choice easier. We don’t just meet SDA requirements; we go above and beyond to ensure you feel at home. Ready to explore if you’re eligible for SDA? Use our quick eligibility calculator or get in touch with us directly by hitting the “Call Us” or “Chat Now” button below to find out how we can support you on your journey to Improved Liveability SDA living.