Draft Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards

The Rudd Government  has tabled a draft Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards for enqiry and report by the House of Repesentatives Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

The Premises Standards aim to provide improved building access, which will give people with mobility, vision and hearing impairments greater opportunities to access employment and other services, helping them to better connect with family, friends and the local community.

Greater accessibility of public buildings will also benefit older Australians with mobility constraints.

The Premises Standards are intended to achieve more consistent, systemic and widespread improvements in non-discriminatory access for people with disability to publicly accessible buildings.

The Premises Standards will specify the type of access that will comply with Australia’s disability discrimination system. They will help reduce red tape – by harmonising the requirements with the Building Code of Australia, which in turn, is adopted by State and Territory building law.

A building constructed in compliance with the Building Code will also be compliant with the non-discrimination requirements in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This will provide certainty to building owners, managers and developers.