Part D4 Access for people with a disability

(1) Where a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution is proposed, Performance Requirements D1P1 to D1P6, D1P8 and D1P9 are satisfied by complying with—

1. D2D2 to D2D23, D3D2 to D3D30 and D4D2 to D4D13; and
2. in a building containing an atrium, Part G3; and
3. in a building in an alpine area, Part G4; and
4. for additional requirements for Class 9b buildings, Part I1; and
5. for public transport buildings, Part I2.

(2) Where a Performance Solution is proposed, the relevant Performance Requirements must be determined in accordance with A2G2(3) and A2G4(3) as applicable.

(3) Performance RequirementD1P7 must be complied with if lifts are to be used to assist occupants to evacuate a building.

(1) Buildings and parts of buildings must be accessible as required by this clause, unless exempted by D4D5.

(2) Access requirements for a Class 1b building are as follows:

1. Dwellings located on one allotment and used for short-term holiday accommodation — to and within a number of dwellings determined in accordance with Table D4D2a.
2. A boarding house, bed and breakfast, guest house, hostel or the like, other than those described in (a) — to and within—
   1. 1 bedroom and associated sanitary facilities; and
   2. not less than 1 of each type of room or space for use in common by the residents or guests, including a cooking facility, sauna, gymnasium, swimming pool, laundry, games room, eating area, or the like; and
   3. rooms or spaces for use in common by all residents on a floor to which access by way of a ramp complying with AS 1428.1 or a passenger lift is provided.

(3) For the purposes of (2)(a), a community or strata-type subdivision or development is considered to be on a single allotment.

(4) For a Class 2 building, common areas are to be accessible as follows:

1. From a pedestrian entrance required to be accessible to at least 1 floor containing sole-occupancy units and to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit located on that level.
2. To and within not less than 1 of each type of room or space for use in common by the residents, including a cooking facility, sauna, gymnasium, swimming pool, common laundry, games room, individual shop, eating area, or the like.
3. Where a ramp complying with AS 1428.1 or a passenger lift is installed—
   1. to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit; and
   2. to and within rooms or spaces for use in common by the residents.
4. The requirements of (c) only apply where the space referred to in (c)(i) or (ii) is located on the levels served by the lift or ramp.

(5) For a Class 3 building, access requirements are as follows:

1. Common areas:
   1. From a pedestrian entrance required to be accessible to at least 1 floor containing sole-occupancy units and to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit located on that level.
   2. To and within not less than 1 of each type of room or space for use in common by the residents, including a cooking facility, sauna, gymnasium, swimming pool, common laundry, games room, TV room, individual shop, dining room, public viewing area, ticket purchasing service, lunch room, lounge room, or the like.
   3. Where a ramp complying with AS 1428.1 or a passenger lift is installed—
      1. to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit; and
      2. to and within rooms or spaces for use in common by the residents.
   4. The requirements of (iii) only apply where the space referred to in (A) and (B) are located on the levels served by the lift or ramp.
2. To and within sole-occupancy units — in accordance with Table D4D2b.

(6) For Class 5, 6, 7b, 8 and 9a buildings, access must be provided to and within all areas normally used by the occupants.

(7) For a Class 7a building, access must be provided to and within any level containing accessible carparking spaces.

(8) For a Class 9b building, access requirements are as follows:

1. Schools and early childhood centres — to and within all areas normally used by the occupants.
2. An assembly building, not being a school or early childhood centre — to and within —
   1. wheelchair seating spaces provided in accordance with D4D10; and
   2. all other areas normally used by the occupants, except that access need not be provided to tiers or platforms of seating areas that do not contain wheelchair seating spaces.

(9) For a Class 9c building, access requirements are as follows:

1. Common areas:
   1. From a pedestrian entrance required to be accessible to at least 1 floor containing sole-occupancy units and to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit located on that level.
   2. To and within not less than 1 of each type of room or space for use in common by the residents, including a cooking facility, sauna, gymnasium, swimming pool, common laundry, games room, TV room, individual shop, dining room, public viewing area, ticket purchasing service, lunch room, lounge room, or the like.
   3. Where a ramp complying with AS 1428.1 or a passenger lift is installed—
      1. to the entrance doorway of each sole-occupancy unit; and
      2. to and within rooms or spaces for use in common by the residents.
   4. The requirements of (iii) only apply where the space referred to in (iii)(A) or (iii)(B) is located on the levels served by the lift or ramp.
2. Sole-occupancy units — to and within a number of sole-occupancy units determined in accordance with Table D4D2b.

(10) For a Class 10 building, access requirements are as follows:

1. For a Class 10a non-habitable building located in an accessible area intended for use by the public and containing a sanitary facility, change room facility or shelter, to and within—
   1. an accessible sanitary facility; and
   2. a change room facility; and
   3. a public shelter or the like.
2. For Class 10b swimming pools, to and into swimming pools with a total perimeter greater than 40 m, associated with a Class 1b, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building that is required to be accessible, but not swimming pools for the exclusive use of occupants of a Class 1b building or a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or Class 3 building.

(1) An accessway must be provided to a building required to be accessible—

1. from the main points of a pedestrian entry at the allotment boundary; and
2. from another accessible building connected by a pedestrian link; and
3. from any required accessible carparking space on the allotment.

(2) In a building required to be accessible, an accessway must be provided through the principal pedestrian entrance, and—

1. through not less than 50% of all pedestrian entrances including the principal pedestrian entrance; and
2. in a building with a total floor area more than 500 m², a pedestrian entrance which is not accessible must not be located more than 50 m from an accessible pedestrian entrance,

except for pedestrian entrances serving only areas exempted by D4D5.

(3) Where a pedestrian entrance required to be accessible has multiple doorways—

1. if the pedestrian entrance consists of not more than 3 doorways — not less than 1 of those doorways must be accessible; and
2. if a pedestrian entrance consists of more than 3 doorways — not less than 50% of those doorways must be accessible.

(4) For the purposes of (3)—

1. an accessible pedestrian entrance with multiple doorways is considered to be one pedestrian entrance where—
   1. all doorways serve the same part or parts of the building; and
   2. the distance between each doorway is not more than the width of the widest doorway at that pedestrian entrance (see Figure D4D3); and
2. a doorway is considered to be the clear, unobstructed opening created by the opening of one or more door leaves (see Figure D4D3).

(5) Where a doorway on an accessway has multiple leaves (except an automatic opening door), one of those leaves must have a clear opening width of not less than 850 mm in accordance with AS 1428.1.

In a building required to be accessible—

1. every ramp and stairway, except for ramps and stairways in areas exempted by D4D5, must comply with—
   1. for a ramp, except a fire-isolated ramp, clause 10 of AS 1428.1; and
   2. for a stairway, except a fire-isolated stairway, clause 11 of AS 1428.1; and
   3. for a fire-isolated stairway, clause 11.1(f) and (g) of AS 1428.1; and
2. every passenger lift must comply with E3D7 and E3D8; and
3. accessways must have—
   1. passing spaces complying with AS 1428.1 at maximum 20 m intervals on those parts of an accessway where a direct line of sight is not available; and
   2. turning spaces complying with AS 1428.1—
      1. within 2 m of the end of accessways where it is not possible to continue travelling along the accessway; and
      2. at maximum 20 m intervals along the accessway; and
4. an intersection of accessways satisfies the spatial requirements for a passing and turning space; and
5. a passing space may serve as a turning space; and
6. a ramp complying with AS 1428.1 or a passenger lift need not be provided to serve a storey or level other than the entrance storey in a Class 5, 6, 7b or 8 building—
   1. containing not more than 3 storeys; and
   2. with a floor area for each storey, excluding the entrance storey, of not more than 200 m²; and
7. clause 7.4.1(a) of AS 1428.1 does not apply and is replaced with ‘the pile height or pile thickness shall not exceed 11 mm and the carpet backing thickness shall not exceed 4 mm’; and
8. the carpet pile height or pile thickness dimension, carpet backing thickness dimension and their combined dimension shown in Figure 8 of AS 1428.1 do not apply and are replaced with 11 mm, 4 mm and 15 mm respectively.

The following areas are not required to be accessible:

1. An area where access would be inappropriate because of the particular purpose for which the area is used.
2. An area that would pose a health or safety risk for people with a disability.
3. Any path of travel providing access only to an area exempted by (a) or (b).

(1) Accessible carparking spaces—

1. subject to (b), must be provided in accordance with (2) in—
   1. a Class 7a building required to be accessible; and
   2. a carparking area on the same allotment as a building required to be accessible; and
2. need not be provided in a Class 7a building or a carparking area where a parking service is provided and direct access to any of the carparking spaces is not available to the public; and
3. subject to (d), must comply with AS/NZS 2890.6; and
4. need not be identified with signage where there is a total of not more than 5 carparking spaces, so as to restrict the use of the carparking space only for people with a disability.

(2) For each class of building to which the carpark or carparking area is associated, the number of accessible carparking spaces required is as follows:

1. Class 1b and 3 buildings:
   1. For a boarding house, guest house, hostel, lodging house, backpackers’ accommodation or the residential part of a hotel or motel, the number of accessible carparking spaces required is to be calculated by multiplying the total number of carparking spaces by the percentage of —
      1. accessiblesole-occupancy units to the total number of sole-occupancy units; or
      2. accessible bedrooms to the total number of bedrooms.
   2. For the purposes of (i), the calculated number is taken to the next whole figure.
   3. For a residential part of a school, accommodation for the aged, disabled or children, residential part of a health-care building which accommodates members of staff or the residential part of a detention centre — 1 accessible space for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
2. Class 5, 7, 8 or 9c buildings — 1 accessible space for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
3. Class 6 buildings—
   1. with up to 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space for every 50 carparking spaces or part thereof; and
   2. for each additional 100 carparking spaces or part thereof in excess of 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space.
4. Class 9a buildings:
   1. For a hospital (non-outpatient area) — 1 accessible space for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
   2. For a hospital (outpatient area)—
      1. with up to 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space for every 50 carparking spaces or part thereof; and
      2. for each additional 100 carparking spaces or part thereof in excess of 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space.
   3. For a nursing home — 1 accessible space for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
   4. For a clinic or day surgery not forming part of a hospital — 1 accessible space for every 50 carparking spaces or part thereof.
5. Class 9b buildings:
   1. For a school — 1 accessible space for every 100 carparking spaces or part thereof.
   2. For other assembly buildings—
      1. with up to 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space for every 50 carparking spaces or part thereof; and
      2. for each additional 100 carparking spaces or part thereof in excess of 1000 carparking spaces — 1 accessible space.

(1) In a building required to be accessible—

1. braille and tactile signage complying with Specification 15 must—
   1. incorporate the international symbol of access or deafness, as appropriate, in accordance with AS 1428.1 and identify each—
      1. sanitary facility, except a sanitary facility associated with a bedroom in a Class 1b building or a sole-occupancy unit in a Class 3 or Class 9c building; and
      2. space with a hearing augmentation system; and
   2. identify each door required by E4D5 to be provided with an exit sign and state—
      1. “Exit”; and
      2. “Level”; and
      3. the floor level number or floor level descriptor, or a combination of the two.
2. signage including the international symbol for deafness in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided within a room containing a hearing augmentation system identifying—
   1. the type of hearing augmentation; and
   2. the area covered within the room; and
   3. if receivers are being used and where the receivers can be obtained; and
3. signage in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided for accessible unisex sanitary facilities to identify if the facility is suitable for left or right handed use; and
4. signage to identify an ambulant accessible sanitary facility in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be located on the door of the facility; and
5. where a pedestrian entrance is not accessible, directional signage incorporating the international symbol of access, in accordance with AS 1428.1, must be provided to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible pedestrian entrance; and
6. where a bank of sanitary facilities is not provided with an accessible unisex sanitary facility, directional signage incorporating the international symbol of access in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be placed at the location of the sanitary facilities that are not accessible, to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible unisex sanitary facility.

(2) In a building that is subject to F4D12 and is required to be accessible, directional signage complying with Specification 15 to direct a person to the location of the nearest accessible adult change facility within that building must be provided at the location of each—

1. bank of sanitary facilities; and
2. accessible unisex sanitary facility, other than one that incorporates an accessible adult change facility.

(1) A hearing augmentation system must be provided where an inbuilt amplification system, other than one used only for emergency warning, is installed—

1. in a room in a Class 9b building; or
2. in an auditorium, conference room, meeting room or room for judicatory purposes; or
3. at any ticket office, teller’s booth, reception area or the like, where the public is screened from the service provider.

(2) If a hearing augmentation system required by (1) is—

1. an induction loop, it must be provided to not less than 80% of the floor area of the room or space served by the inbuilt amplification system; or
2. a system requiring the use of receivers or the like, it must be available to not less than 95% of the floor area of the room or space served by the inbuilt amplification system, and the number of receivers provided must not be less than—
   1. if the room or space accommodates up to 500 persons, 1 receiver for every 25 persons or part thereof, or 2 receivers, whichever is the greater; and
   2. if the room or space accommodates more than 500 persons but not more than 1000 persons, 20 receivers plus 1 receiver for every 33 persons or part thereof in excess of 500 persons; and
   3. if the room or space accommodates more than 1000 persons but not more than 2000 persons, 35 receivers plus 1 receiver for every 50 persons or part thereof in excess of 1000 persons; and
   4. if the room or space accommodates more than 2000 persons, 55 receivers plus 1 receiver for every 100 persons or part thereof in excess of 2000 persons.

(3) The number of persons accommodated in the room or space served by an inbuilt amplification system must be calculated according to D2D18.

(4) Any screen or scoreboard associated with a Class 9b building and capable of displaying public announcements must be capable of supplementing any public address system, other than a public address system used for emergency warning purposes only.

(1) For a building required to be accessible, tactile ground surface indicators must be provided to warn people who are blind or have a vision impairment that they are approaching—

1. a stairway, other than a fire-isolated stairway; and
2. an escalator; and
3. a passenger conveyor or moving walk; and
4. a ramp other than a fire-isolated ramp, step ramp, kerb ramp or swimming pool ramp; and
5. in the absence of a suitable barrier—
   1. an overhead obstruction less than 2 m above floor level, other than a doorway; and
   2. an accessway meeting a vehicular way adjacent to any pedestrian entrance to a building, excluding a pedestrian entrance serving an area referred to in D4D5, if there is no kerb or kerb ramp at that point,

except for areas exempted by D4D5.

(2) Tactile ground surface indicators required by (1) must comply with sections 1 and 2 of AS/NZS 1428.4.1.

(3) A hostel for the aged, nursing home for the aged, a residential aged care building, Class 3 accommodation for the aged, Class 9a health-care building or a Class 9c aged care building need not comply with (1)(a) and (d) if handrails incorporating a raised dome button in accordance with AS/NZS 1428.4.1 are provided to warn people who are blind or have a vision impairment that they are approaching a stairway or ramp.

Where fixed seating is provided in a Class 9b assembly building, wheelchair seating spaces complying with AS 1428.1 must be provided in accordance with the following:

1. The number and grouping of wheelchair seating spaces must be in accordance with Table D4D10.
2. In a cinema—
   1. with not more than 300 seats — wheelchair seating spaces must not be located in the front row of seats; and
   2. with more than 300 seats — not less than 75% of required wheelchair seating spaces must be located in rows other than the front row of seats.

(1) Not less than 1 means of accessible water entry/exit in accordance with Specification 16 must be provided for each swimming pool required by D4D2 to be accessible.

(2) An accessible entry/exit must be by means of—

1. a fixed or movable ramp and an aquatic wheelchair; or
2. a zero depth entry and an aquatic wheelchair; or
3. a platform swimming pool lift and an aquatic wheelchair; or
4. a sling-style swimming pool lift.

(3) Where a swimming pool has a perimeter of more than 70 m, at least one accessible water entry/exit must be provided by a means specified in (2)(a), (b) or (c).

(4) Latching devices on gates and doors forming part of a swimming pool safety barrier need not comply with AS 1428.1.

On an accessway—

1. a series of connected ramps must not have a combined vertical rise of more than 3.6 m; and
2. a landing for a step ramp must not overlap a landing for another step ramp or ramp.

On an accessway, where there is no chair rail, handrail or transom, all frameless or fully glazed doors, sidelights and any glazing capable of being mistaken for a doorway or opening, must be clearly marked in accordance with AS 1428.1.