An overview of specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. SDA has features that help residents live more independently and makes sure other supports can be delivered better or more safely.
To have SDA funding, participants must:
- have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs
- meet the SDA needs requirement and the NDIS funding criteria
Participants pay a reasonable rent contribution and other day-to-day living costs, such as electricity bills.
Learn more about what SDA is.
The different types of SDA
There are 4 types of building that can be an SDA home:
- apartment
- villa, duplex or townhouse
- house - up to 3 people
- group home - 4 or 5 people.
Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) design standard
The SDA design standard makes design requirements for SDA easier to understand for you and participants.
It provides:
- participants access to high quality housing
- flexibility for you to make sure participants’ needs are met
- helpful information for architects, builders and the community about specialist housing for people with disability.
The SDA design standard has 4 design categories.
They are:
- improved liveability
- robust
- fully accessible
- high physical support.
Certification
All enrolment applications for newly built SDA must have SDA design standard certification. It helps to make sure SDA is high-quality, accessible housing.
This must be signed by an SDA assessor.
There are 2 stages of certification, which are at:
- the design stage before construction commences
- final as-built stage.
Certification at the design stage gives you more certainty what you build will meet the minimum design requirements.
SDA design standard certification doesn’t mean the home will be enrolled as SDA.
We decide whether to enrol a home when we receive a completed application to enrol, after the home is built.
We won’t enrol a home if the requirements for enrolment aren’t met. This is regardless of the SDA design standard certification, or previous assessment, feedback or certification provided by us or another party.
SDA design standard certification doesn’t mean the home will be enrolled as SDA. We decide whether to enrol a home when we receive a completed application to enrol, after the home is built.
Download the SDA design standard:
Update:
We are reviewing the SDA design standard.
We want to make sure it:
- continues to support the construction of safe, high-quality homes for participants
- keeps up with changes and improvements in the building industry.
You can find updates on the review at NDIS Engage .
SDA design stage register
SDA assessors lodge the design standard certification with us.
The register is a list that records details of SDA projects at the design stage.
It includes important information from the certification documents submitted to us.
We release data from the register to inform the market of the pipeline of homes intended to be enrolled as SDA under development. Commercial in confidence or identifying information is protected.
When we add a home to the design stage register, it doesn’t mean the home will be enrolled as SDA. It also doesn’t mean it’ll be enrolled as the same building type and design category as what is on the register.
SDA assessors
The SDA developer, owner or provider uses an SDA assessor to certify compliance with the SDA design standard. The assessor must be independent of the building project and the SDA provider or owner.
SDA assessments are done by professionals with qualifications, skills and experience to assess homes against SDA design requirements.
You can find SDA assessors on our SDA assessor list.
Only specified professionals can become SDA assessors. These are
- architects
- accesses consultants
- occupational therapists
- building surveyors.
If you are interested in becoming an SDA assessor, the Access Institute delivers approved training courses.
You must also provide us with the following information before we will include you on the SDA assessor list:
- completed SDA assessor registration form
- signed SDA Code of Conduct form
- evidence of relevant prerequisites for the approved professions as detailed above
- evidence of Certificate IV or Diploma of Access Consulting completion
- copy of Certificate of Currency for Professional Indemnity Insurance ($5,000,000)
- copy of Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance ($10,000,000)
- other relevant documentation as required or requested by us in certain situations.
Enrolling a home (or dwelling)
You’ll need to apply to us to enrol a home as SDA.
We sometimes refer to SDA homes as SDA dwellings.
Before you begin your enrolment, you must be registered through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission with the SDA registration group approved.
All applications to enrol homes as SDA must be submitted to us through the myNDIS provider portal.
Learn more about how to enrol a home as SDA.
The specialist disability accommodation (SDA) pricing arrangements
The pricing arrangements for SDA is a set price limit for claiming SDA. We used to call this the SDA price guide.
Learn more about the SDA pricing arrangements.
Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) provider responsibilities
There are responsibilities and requirements you need to meet which can be found in the NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020 (SDA Rules).
The SDA rules require all providers to be registered NDIS providers and for all homes to be enrolled with us. The rules also set out the requirements that must be met for us to enrol the home as SDA.