The Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) came into effect on 1st May 2011 and presents some significant changes to limited mobility and disability access to commercial premises.
The new access to premises standard sets performance requirements, provides references and sets technical specifications that ensure that people with a disability are guaranteed dignified access to and use of buildings.
The Premises Standards forms part of the Disability Discrimination Act and provides certainty to the building industry in relation to the design construction and management of buildings for disability access.
The new Premises Standards apply to all new buildings, including existing building modifications that require building approval lodged on or after 1st May 2011. This includes office blocks, education facilities, retail outlets, entertainment venues and buildings used for commercial purposes.
This is interesting for the lift manufacturing industry as there have been major changes to the current building code access requirements which involve commercial elevators and limited mobility access.
The changes include increases in the number of accessible entrances and doorways to buildings, improvements in the types of lifts and improvements in the usability and access features within lifts. The Premises Standards also recognises a wider range of lifts including stairway platform lifts and low-rise platform lifts.
More information on the new standards and a free summary is available from Aussie Lifts.
Aussie Lifts can provide limited mobility access lifts to commercial buildings. They also provide BCA compliant commercial lifts as well as supply and install of low-rise platform lifts and portable wheelchair lifts.
