What is SDA? A Quick Overview

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is purpose-built housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Unlike standard rental properties with minor modifications, SDA homes are specifically designed and built to meet stringent accessibility and support standards.

The SDA design categories help match your support needs with the right home features. Whether you need sensory-friendly spaces, wheelchair accessibility, medical equipment support, or reinforced safety features, understanding these categories is essential to finding housing that truly supports your independence.

At Paramount Disability Homes, we know that the right home isn't just about accessibility features. It's about finding housing close to family networks, community connections, and the places that matter most to you.

Download our brochure explaining the 4 SDA Design Categories.

Understanding the Four SDA Design Categories

The NDIS classifies SDA into four distinct design categories, each addressing different physical, sensory, or behavioural support needs. These categories ensure that your home provides the right level of accessibility and safety features for your circumstances.

Let's explore each category in detail to help you understand which type of SDA might be right for you or your family member.

Improved Liveability SDA: Supporting Cognitive and Sensory Needs

Improved Liveability SDA is designed for people with sensory, intellectual, or cognitive support needs. This category focuses on creating environments that reduce sensory overload and provide clear, predictable spaces that support daily routines.

Who Benefits from Improved Liveability?

This category suits people with:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder who benefit from sensory-friendly environments
• Intellectual disability requiring clear layouts and visual cues
• Sensory processing difficulties that make standard housing challenging
• Cognitive support needs where environmental design aids independence

Key Features of Improved Liveability Properties

• Enhanced lighting and acoustic treatment reducing sensory overload
• High-contrast visual cues for navigation and safety
• Open-plan designs with clear, logical flow between spaces
• Accessible bathrooms and kitchens with simplified controls
• Private ensuites providing dignity and independence
• Assistive technology including visual alarms and smart home systems
• Fully fenced outdoor areas offering secure access to nature
• Calming colour schemes and consistent finishes throughout

Improved Liveability properties create homes where daily living becomes more manageable through thoughtful design. For families, this means your loved one can develop independence skills whilst staying connected to your community network.

Fully Accessible SDA: High-Level Physical Access

Fully Accessible SDA removes physical barriers for people with significant mobility impairment. This category is designed for wheelchair users and people who require frequent physical assistance with daily activities.

Who Benefits from Fully Accessible Housing?

This category suits people with:

• Significant physical impairment requiring wheelchair access
• Manual or powered wheelchair users needing full mobility throughout the home
• Mobility conditions requiring accessible bathrooms and living spaces
• Physical support needs including regular assistance with transfers

Key Features of Fully Accessible Properties

• Step-free entry and circulation throughout the home
• Wide doorways (minimum 950mm) and spacious hallways for wheelchair access
• Reinforced bathroom walls for grab rails, roll-in showers, raised toilets
• Accessible kitchens with adjustable benches and reachable storage
• Switches, outlets, and controls at accessible heights
• Level thresholds between indoor and outdoor areas
• Emergency egress routes designed for wheelchair users
• Slip-resistant flooring in wet areas

Fully Accessible properties ensure that physical limitations don't restrict where you can live. Our Melbourne properties are strategically located near family networks, medical services, and community facilities.

Learn more about Fully Accessible SDA housing features and benefits.

High Physical Support SDA: Complex Medical and Mobility Needs

High Physical Support (HPS) SDA represents the highest level of physical accessibility. This category is designed for people with very high physical support needs, complex medical requirements, or progressive neurological conditions requiring specialised equipment and 24/7 care access.

Who Benefits from High Physical Support?

This category suits people with:

• High-level mobility restrictions requiring ceiling hoists
• Complex medical needs including ventilation or feeding support
• Progressive neurological disorders such as Motor Neurone Disease or advanced Multiple Sclerosis
• 24/7 care needs with dedicated on-site support staff requirements
• Conditions requiring emergency backup power for life-sustaining equipment

Key Features of High Physical Support Properties

High Physical Support includes all Fully Accessible features, plus:

• Reinforced ceiling structures for tracking hoists throughout bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas
• Emergency backup power (minimum 2 hours) for life-sustaining equipment
• Extra-wide doorways and ceiling heights for specialized equipment
• Advanced home automation and health monitoring technology
• Medical equipment power supplies with surge protection
• Dedicated on-site overnight assistance accommodation with separate entry
• Equipment storage and charging areas

High Physical Support SDA enables people with complex needs to live in the community rather than institutional settings. Our Melbourne locations are carefully selected near specialized medical services and family support networks.

Robust SDA: Safety Features for Complex Behaviours

Robust SDA provides durable, secure housing for people with complex behavioural support needs. This category emphasizes safety, durability, and sensory management whilst maintaining a comfortable home environment rather than an institutional setting.

Who Benefits from Robust Housing?

This category suits people with:

• Psychosocial disability requiring reinforced environments
• High-intensity behaviour support needs
• Complex behaviours that may result in property damage
• Conditions involving aggression towards self or others
• Sensory sensitivities combined with high-intensity behaviours
• Support needs requiring secure but non-restrictive environments

Key Features of Robust Properties

• High-impact wall linings and reinforced fixtures throughout
• Laminated, shatter-resistant windows and safety glazing
• Tamper-resistant plumbing, electrical fixtures, and hardware
• Lockable storage for hazardous items and medications
• Acoustic separation between bedrooms and living areas
• Designated calm spaces and sensory zoning for low-stimulation areas
• Fully fenced yards with secure gates and safe outdoor access
• Separated on-site overnight assistance accommodation
• Durable finishes reducing maintenance disruptions

Robust SDA isn't about creating restrictive environments. It's about building homes that remain safe, functional, and comfortable over time, reducing stress for residents and their families.

Discover more about Robust SDA housing and complex support needs.

How to Determine Which SDA Category You Need

Choosing the right SDA design category depends on your specific support needs, disability type, and functional requirements. Here's how to work through this important decision with your support team.

Assessment Through Your NDIS Plan

Your Occupational Therapist plays a central role in determining which SDA category suits your needs. They will:

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of your functional capacity
• Evaluate your current housing and identify barriers to independence
• Consider your long-term support needs and potential changes
• Recommend the appropriate SDA category with detailed justification
• Document evidence supporting your SDA funding request

Key Questions to Consider

Ask yourself:

• Do you use a wheelchair or require ceiling hoists for transfers?
• Do you need emergency backup power for medical equipment?
• Do you experience sensory overload requiring enhanced acoustics and lighting?
• Would visual cues and clear layouts improve your navigation and independence?
• Do you have complex behaviours requiring reinforced, durable housing?
• Do you need 24/7 on-site overnight assistance?
• Are secure outdoor spaces important for your safety and wellbeing?

Working with Your Support Coordinator

Your Support Coordinator helps navigate the SDA application process:

• Connecting you with appropriate Occupational Therapists
• Gathering evidence and documentation for your NDIS plan
• Advocating for the right category based on your needs
• Coordinating between your healthcare team and NDIS planners
• Helping you understand the assessment timeline

Multiple Category Features

Some participants have needs spanning multiple categories. For example, you might require:

• Fully Accessible features combined with Robust durability
• High Physical Support with Improved Liveability sensory management
• Robust safety features with complete wheelchair accessibility

Your assessment should identify all relevant features needed, regardless of category labels. The goal is finding housing that genuinely supports your independence and wellbeing.

Finding the Right SDA Home for Your Family

Understanding SDA design categories is the first step. The next crucial decision is location. At Paramount Disability Homes, we believe the best SDA isn't just about accessibility features. It's about proximity to family, community connections, and support networks.

Why Location Matters

Location impacts daily life in meaningful ways:

• Family connection - Regular contact becomes easier when travel distances are manageable
• Community inclusion - Staying near familiar places maintains friendships and local connections
• Healthcare access - Keep your existing providers rather than changing everything
• Transport - Proximity to accessible transport supports independence

Paramount Disability Homes develops SDA across Melbourne's established suburbs, near family networks and community services. We build in neighbourhoods with existing infrastructure, not isolated developments.

Explore our current SDA homes and upcoming properties to find options near your family and community.

Your Rights and Next Steps

Under NDIS guidelines, you choose where you live, who you live with, and who provides your support. SDA funding covers accommodation, but you control the important decisions about your life.

Before exploring properties, check SDA eligibility requirements. The scheme is specifically for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. If you're eligible, the process involves working with your Support Coordinator and Occupational Therapist to assess needs and secure funding.

Want to share your SDA home with family members? Learn about living with family in SDA through Appendix H.

Getting Started With Paramount Disability Homes

Contact our team to discuss your needs and explore available properties:

• Phone: (03) 9999 7418
• Email: admin@paramounthomes.com.au
• Website: www.paramounthomes.com.au

Visit our contact page to connect with our SDA specialists.

Next Steps: Finding Your Home

Understanding the four SDA design categories (Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, and Robust) helps you identify which features you need. But features alone don't make a home. Location, community connection, and proximity to family matter just as much.

At Paramount Disability Homes, we build SDA in established Melbourne communities, close to family networks and essential services.

When exploring SDA, take time to discuss design categories with your Occupational Therapist, consider locations that suit your lifestyle, and visit properties to experience how spaces feel. Your home should support your independence whilst keeping you connected to the people and community that matter most.

Contact Paramount Disability Homes on (03) 9999 7418 or admin@paramounthomes.com.au to explore options designed around your needs.