NCC Disability Access Requirements

The National Construction Code (NCC) is Australia’s primary standard, focusing on the minimum level of safety, health, access requirements, and more for the technical design and construction provisions for new builds. There are clauses for everything from waterproofing to handrails, as well as accessibility for disabilities.

If you’re familiar with the NCC and its requirements, you might already know that most of the information can be quite difficult to navigate. Still, it’s incredibly important to adhere to for the safety of your buildings. Explore everything you need to know about the NCC disability access requirements below.

Why are disability access requirements essential?

There are many reasons why disability access requirements are essential. Enabling access for everyone removes barriers for people with a disability and provides equal opportunities to prevent discrimination. In short, adhering to disability access requirements prevents your building from singling out individuals because of their circumstances.

The requirements for access make sure that there’s a set standard to adhere to, too, meaning things like handrails, ramps, and accessible features are the same across Australia. Disability access would be a lot less effective if each building followed its own standards.

What are the key NCC disability access requirements?

Now we know why the NCC disability access requirements are so important, let’s take a look into the key requirements to make sure you know exactly what’s expected of you:

H10P1 Access for people with a disability

The NCC Volume 2 features a section called SA Part H10 Access for people with a disability which goes into detail about what’s expected of you when when building Class 1 or 10 buildings, including domestic or residential buildings. This includes:

• Buildings and immediate surroundings must have appropriate features to a degree necessary to enable people with a disability to safely and equitably –
  • Negotiate the route from the road boundary to and within the building using a wheelchair
  • Have access to spaces within the building, including facilities under H4P3 (Personal hygiene and other facilities)

Clear openings for doorways

A minimum clear opening with a width of 820 mm is required for at least one external doorway, which will be the designated entrance door used in conjunction with the step-free access path.

Internal doorways on the ground floor or split-level ground floor also need to be step-free for accessibility. When a hinged door is opened to its maximum, there must be a clearance of at least 820 mm (with the exception of its handle). This means:

• 820 mm wide doors are no longer suitable for use in these instances
• An 870 mm wide door will achieve the minimum clear opening for internal applications
• A 920 mm wide door will achieve the minimum clear opening for external applications, subject to the stops and hinges

Sliding doors, bi-fold doors, and other types can also be considered as entrance doors to the house when they connect to the continuous step-free access path.

Step-free entry requirements

At least one step-free doorway is required into the home with a suitable pathway from the boundary attached. This can be achieved in one of two ways:

• Step-free path requirements:
  • Entry access: A step-free pathway from the boundary to the entrance door, which can utilise either an access path or ramp, including step ramps. Both must satisfy the minimum width gradient requirements. A side door can be considered an entrance door, provided it has continuous step-free access; or
  • Car parking access: The pathway may be provided with an associated car parking space (if the car parking space is for the exclusive use of the building’s occupants). This may be a connected or free-standing garage with the required minimum dimensions.
• Step-free threshold requirements:
  • Clause 2.1 states that the threshold of an entrance door must be: a) Level; or b) Have a sill height of no more than 5 mm if the lip is rounded or bevelled; or c) Have a ramp threshold that:
    • does not extend beyond the depth of the door jamb; and
    • has a gradient not steeper than 1:8; and
    • is at least as wide as the minimum clear opening width of the entrance door; and
    • does not intrude into the minimum dimensions of a landing area that is required by Clause 2.3; ord) where the requirements of (a), (b) or (c) cannot meet the weatherproofing requirements of the NCC, for external entrance doors containing a raised door or sill
    • have no lip or upstand greater than 15 mm within the sill profile; and
    • have no more than 5 mm height difference between the edge of the top surface of the sill and the adjoining finished surface

Deemed to Satisfy provisions for disability access compliance

Deemed to Satisfy (DtS) provisions are there to help building developers and project owners who simply cannot adhere to the NCC requirements due to extenuating circumstances. As the standard is put in place to prevent discrimination and for safety, it’s still vital that you show your compliance even if you can’t fulfil what’s been laid out as expected.

When it comes to DtS provisions for disability access, compliance with SA H10D2 (Application of Part) and SA H10D4 (Parts of buildings to be accessible) for access for people with a disability satisfies the performance requirement:

“Buildings and immediate surrounds must have appropriate features to a degree necessary to enable people with a disability to safely and equitably—

1. negotiate the route from the road boundary to and within the building using a wheelchair; and
2. have access to spaces within the building, including facilities required under H4P3“

You can read more about the DtS provisions for disability access requirements here.

Performance solutions for disability access compliance

If you can’t find a DtS provision for disability access compliance, you might also have the option to use a performance solution instead. These can also prove that you are willing to adhere to the necessary safety standards set out by the NCC, even if you don’t have the means to follow them directly.

Performance solutions can be more lenient than DtS solutions, although discrimination often makes inspectors stricter on following the rules.

The performance solution you choose needs to be verified by one or multiple assessment methods, such as:

• Evidence of suitability
• Verification method
• Expert judgement
• Comparison with the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions

If it is easier for your particular circumstance, you can also use performance solutions in conjunction with DtS provisions to demonstrate your compliance.

Common disability access issues and how to avoid them

Like with any NCC requirement, you don’t want to have any issues arise in regard to disability access, which would require you to tear down sections of your building and start again in accordance with the requirements. Here are a few of the most common disability access issues and how you can prevent them from the get-go:

• Failing to include step-free entranceways: Step-free entranceways are essential to wheelchair users and people with certain disabilities that limit mobility. The NCC states that a building needs at least one of these for accessibility, so failing to provide this is a clear violation of the standard. To avoid this, make sure you brush up on what’s expected in regard to ramps going into the dwelling and consult a professional if you’re unsure of what your requirements are.
• Too-narrow doorways: The NCC requires doorways to have a minimum width of 820 mm – including hinges, stops, handles, and whatever else. A common issue is developers using 820 mm doorways, which are no longer accepted because of how much space the extra equipment takes. To prevent this, internal doors should be 870 mm wide and external doors must be a minimum of 920 mm.
• Tackling it on your own: The disability access requirements are spread out within the NCC, so it can be difficult to find all the information you need to know as it’s not in one place. We highly recommend enlisting the help of a professional broker or certifier to inform you of the expectations before getting started with the development to prevent you from missing any requirements.

Inspection requirements

As per the agreement of your building permits and permissions, your development will need to be inspected before, during, and after work commences to make sure they’re in line with the Australian Standards. Here are the main things that should be looked at in terms of disability access requirements:

• Doorways: Doorways will be looked at, particularly the width and clearance for wheelchairs. These need to be at least 820 mm without any of the handles or stops.
• Compliant fixtures: Handles and fixtures need to be compliant for disability access.
• External entryways: You need to have at least one external step-free entryway to the house which gives everyone access to the dwelling no matter what their circumstance. If you’ve used ramps, the gradient will also be checked.
• Handrails: If you need handrails (due to stairs being above one metre high) the height, material, and more will be inspected to make sure they’re in line with the NCC guidelines.

Explore other NCC requirements and regulations

• NCC changes 2024
• NCC energy efficiency requirements
• NCC waterproofing requirements
• NCC floor waste requirements class 1
• NCC handrail requirements

Get free advice from an experienced building broker on your new build

At Buildi, we have a team of experts on standby to help you with whatever you need when making sure you’re adhering to the NCC requirements for access. If you’re still unsure what’s expected of you or simply want to talk through your options, we’re happy to offer free advice when you get in touch at 1300 947 132 or through our Contact Form.