More than 40 people with disability and supporters rallied outside the NSW Parliament on 6 August calling on state leaders to end housing discrimination in NSW.
They handed an open letter to state leaders calling on the NSW Government to adopt measures to ensure new housing developments in NSW are accessible.
The rally was part of a day of action organised by the Building Better Homes campaign.
It was covered in the media, including on ABC News.
The group of people with disability, including a number of wheelchair users, were locked out of NSW Parliament House due to the building’s inaccessibility.
This highlights that not only are most new houses in NSW inaccessible for people with disability and older people, but Parliament House (after a reported $90 million renovation) is also inaccessible.
The NSW and WA Governments are the only jurisdictions in Australia refusing to adopt the mandatory accessibility standards in the 2022 National Construction Code.
Building Better Homes spokeswoman Jessica Walker said the design standards are not difficult or expensive.
“They simply require developers to include things like a step-free shower and level entry to new houses,” Ms Walker said.
“The Australian Building Codes Board modelling for these standards shows they would only add about 1% to the cost of a new build.”
In contrast, inaccessible housing leaves people isolated, at an increased risk of injury and unable to age at home. It will also cost governments more in the future to retrofit housing to make it accessible.
Building Better Homes is a coalition of peak bodies and agencies, including the Summer Foundation, working to ensure the mandatory accessibility standards now included in the 2022 National Construction Code are implemented well in every state and territory to meet the needs of all Australians.
