Basic access features are now mandated in the latest edition of the Australian National Construction Code (NCC). This achievement took 20 years of dedicated advocacy for universal design in housing. This was achieved against the backdrop of strong housing industry lobbying for the status quo.
A paper presented at the International Universal Design Conference, UD2022, documents the achievements brought about by people power. It follows three previous papers and could, and should, be the last chapter. But that depends on ongoing political decisions.
While the features are mandatory in the NCC, not all states are ready to adopt these changes. Also, the features are very basic and will not meet the needs of an ageing population. Hence, advocates continue their work.
At the end of my presentation at UD2022 in Italy, I had two questions that indicated disbelief that this could be for ALL housing – many thought it was just for social or special housing. Jane Bringolf.
The conference paper has lessons for other jurisdictions and was written by Margaret Ward with input from Jane Bringolf. The title is, Universal design in housing in Australia: An example of people power. The paper is open access from the IOS Press website.
Or you can have a look at the slides in the short PPT presentation to get a quick overview.
Abstract: This paper follows three previous ones which have reflected on the grassroots campaign in Australia to mandate a basic access standard in all new housing. The original negotiations with government and the housing industry for this reform were at first disingenuous then reluctant despite human rights obligations.
A tenacious campaign over two decades by user stakeholders, researchers, and principled housing providers finally convinced political leaders to mandate national access provisions for all new housing in the National Construction Code. The paper discusses what assisted and hampered this campaign. It then discusses why politicians eventually favoured the interests of ordinary people over the self-interests of the housing industry.
Livable Housing Design: Not our problem
Why do we keep building homes as if we are never going to grow old? A paper from 2014 illustrates that the answer is complex. But the perceptions of developers, designers and builders gives us some insights that remain today. A Brisbane study collected data from site-visits, building documents and interviews with industry stakeholders. Four key themes emerged showing attitudes remain the same: voluntary approach, otherness, immediacy, and inertia.
There is a view that people needing inclusive housing are not part of the mainstream market – they are “others”. Therefore, the answer to the problem is group homes and retirement villages. Inclusive design is assumed to be ugly and undesirable. Therefore, marketing these features will not work. Image from the gallery of Lifetime Homes in Tasmania.
The title of the open access article is, Livable Housing Design: The voluntary provision of inclusive housing in Australia. Although published in 2014 much of the document remains current.
State of housing in Ireland
The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in Ireland has found housing the most difficult area to address in terms of inclusion. A 2024 PhD thesis looks at the issues and compares them with the progress, or lack thereof, in the UK. Even with regulation, new builds in England have been found to be mediocre or poor.
Similarly to Australia, builders of small developments are adopting universal design features. However, larger housing schemes in Ireland are failing to adopt such features.
The research findings suggest a small minority of new housing is at least functionally accessible. And even in Australia, even in states where the Standard is adopted, it is unknown if the features are actually present in new builds.
The title of the thesis: Appropriate housing choices for a whole lifetime – how accessible are new housing proposals in Ireland? Costings and worked examples are included in homes that have less floor space than the average Australian home.
Housing Design for All?
Environments that include older people include everyone else too. So it’s good to ask older people what works for them. The findings from a Helsinki study indicate that neighbourhood design, public transport and green environments influence mobility and social integration. Mainstream housing design is a key factor in supporting older people to stay within their communities.
The title of the dissertation by Ira Verma is, Housing Design for All? The challenges of ageing in urban planning and housing design – The case of Helsinki.
From the abstract: The results indicate that the neighbourhood design, public transport network and proximity of green environments influence mobility and the sense of integration within a community. Moreover, the length of residency was related to the familiarity of the living environment, which gave residents a sense of security, and supported their activities of daily life. Furthermore, the results show that older residents preferred the local services that were the most accessible ones.