Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to inspect existing buildings in order to assess their accessibility for people with disabilities. The assessment process involves interpreting and implementing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), current building codes and standards, and ‘when built’ legislation. It involves communicating with regulatory authorities, and building owners and managers regarding access compliance requirements.
The unit supports access audits of existing buildings and building upgrades. It applies to access consultants working alone or as a member of a team to complete building access audits on behalf of clients, who may be building developers, owners and managers; architects, building designers and builders; potential building purchasers; and building certifiers and surveyors.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit of competency at the time of endorsement.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Respond to client inquiry regarding building access audit. | 1.1. | Client requesting building access audit is identified and their authority to act is established according to organisational requirements. |
1.2. | Client requirements are discussed, clarified and confirmed according to organisational requirements. | ||
1.3. | Own competence and organisational capability to respond to client needs are determined and assessed. | ||
1.4. | Client brief for audit and authority to proceed are negotiated with client and documented according to organisational requirements. | ||
1.5. | Contractual arrangements for audit are negotiated, confirmed, documented and stored according to client, organisational and legislative requirements. | ||
2. | Prepare for access audit. | 2.1. | Copies of documentation required for audit are obtained. |
2.2. | Building access arrangements are negotiated and contact person is identified according to client and organisational requirements. | ||
2.3. | Access audit checklist suited to scale of task and building is prepared. | ||
2.4. | Required audit personnel are sourced and briefed. | ||
2.5. | Required tools and equipment are identified, sourced and checked for serviceability in line with manufacturer specifications. | ||
3. | Conduct access audit. | 3.1. | Building is accessed according to agreed access arrangements and following work health and safety (WHS) procedures. |
3.2. | Extent to which external areas within property boundary comply with building legislative requirements for access for people with disabilities is determined using access audit checklist criteria. | ||
3.3. | Aspects of building that do not meet minimum requirements of audit checklist or comply with access requirements of legislation are determined. | ||
3.4. | Strategies that address areas of access non-compliance are developed, including strategies for alternative means of providing full access for users. | ||
4. | Finalise access audit report. | 4.1. | Draft access audit report for client that satisfies contractual arrangements is prepared according to organisational requirements. |
4.2. | Feedback on draft report is sought and incorporated according to organisational requirements, and report is completed. | ||
4.3. | Access audit report and associated documentation are forwarded to client according to organisational requirements and contractual arrangements. | ||
4.4. | Audit report follow-up with client is provided as required and according to organisational requirements and contractual arrangements. | ||
4.5. | Copy of access audit report and associated documentation is retained according to organisational and legislative requirements. |
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy the requirements of the elements, performance criteria, foundation skills and range of conditions of this unit.
The person must also:
conduct an access audit of one existing building or one building upgrade
develop and apply an access audit checklist for the above building, detailing building-specific criteria for consideration in audit
provide a report relating to the above audit, that:
describes building accessibility, with clear links to the building-specific audit checklist criteria
interprets the impact of the full range of disabilities and the limitations that each disability places on the individual’s ability to access the environment
advises on building compliance with legislative requirements and usability by people with disabilities
fulfils contractual requirements with client
recommends, where required, corrective actions to:
enhance building accessibility
overcome areas of access non-compliance, including strategies for alternative means of providing full access for users.
In conducting the above access audit, the person must:
use effective consultation skills with clients and other key stakeholders to confirm and elicit access audit information
read and interpret building plans
interpret and apply building legislative requirements relating to disability access and evaluate the provision of access in relation to those requirements
interpret how the full range of environmental barriers impacts on people with a range of disabilities and impairments
use research skills to source information that assists in developing potential solutions to the provision of adequate access
use measurement tools in line with manufacturer specifications and record collected data accurately
apply and adhere to building-specific work health and safety (WHS) requirements.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
key requirements of the following relating to determining building accessibility and conducting building access audits:
anti-discrimination legislation
Australian standards relating to site accessibility
Building Code of Australia
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
DDA Premises Standards
international standards relating to site accessibility
state and territory building legislation
local government building regulations
disability awareness to inform building audit, including:
range of disabilities to be considered when conducting building audit
disability-specific physical barriers to accessing building and its facilities
disability-specific minimum requirements for enhancing building accessibility
organisational requirements relating to conducting building access audits, including:
client service standards
procedures for developing building-specific audit checklists
client privacy, confidentiality and security requirements
processes for recording collected audit data and administering records
procedures for writing and storing access audit reports
quality assurance requirements
limitations of own work role, responsibility and professional abilities with regard to above access audit
WHS procedures relating to building access audits, including procedures for:
identifying hazards and controlling risks associated with conducting access audits
selecting and using personal protective equipment (PPE) required for above access audit.
Assessment Conditions
The following must be present and available to learners during assessment activities:
equipment:
PPE required for the building access audit specified in the performance evidence
computer and software to access, retrieve, store and distribute audit-specific documentation
specifications:
Australian standards specified in the range of conditions
Building Code of Australia
DDA
DDA Premises Standards
international standards relating to building accessibility
manufacturer specifications relating to equipment required to conduct access audit
state and territory building legislation
local government building regulations
relationships, including consultation with:
diverse range of clients, including:
building owners and managers
building developers
regulatory authorities, including state, territory and local government representatives
colleagues.
Timeframe:
in line with timeframe in audit contractual arrangements.
Assessor requirements
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | maintain knowledge of current codes, standards, regulations, practices and industry updates relating to building access matters. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret and use ratios and scales to analyse design and dimensions of building and external areas within property boundary against access requirements and provision. |
Oral communication skills to: | facilitate discussion with clients to explore audit needs and proposed audit recommendations, demonstrating: command of language to convey information relating to the provision of access in a clear and accessible manner communication techniques suited to individual clients and required to clarify and elicit information convey knowledge and ideas through oral and visual means. |
Reading skills to: | read a range of complex texts and extract information relating to access requirements and specific building audits identify and assess information in complex text, site plans, diagrams, graphs and charts to track compliance of buildings with accessibility requirements interpret building industry terminology. |
Writing skills to: | write plain English audit reports that meet client requirements and detail accessibility audit outcomes that: are based on consultation with stakeholders and a detailed analysis of building environmental and physical characteristics impacting on access represent and convey the needs of diverse disabilities and impairments. |
Digital literacy skills to: | apply information technology and computer skills when accessing and preparing audit support documentation and reports. |
Initiative and enterprise skills to: | use opportunities to facilitate change for greater disability access. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Documentation required for audit must include: | manufacturer specifications relating to audit tools and equipment plans of building to be audited. |
Building access arrangements must include: | access and egress points keys, passes and security clearances timing of access WHS requirements, including required personal protective equipment (PPE). |
Access audit checklist must include: | access audit report form building or facility identification and data sheet minimum requirements summary sheets for building spaces and special areas for: accessible paths of travel to and within all spaces in the building required by legislation to be accessible accessible entrances additions and alterations controls for doors, switches, and power points historic preservation, where applicable on-site parking, reserved disability parking, and passenger set-down zones rooms and spaces, such as assembly areas and fitting rooms security alarm pads and help points signage site-accessible paths and elements special purpose facilities, such as restaurants, medical facilities, shops and libraries tactile ground surface indicators toilets and bathrooms technical requirements for access audit forms additional to above minimum requirements: automated teller machines drinking fountains entrances and exits, including safe havens to await rescue external access paths gates and doors internal access, including lobbies and corridors lifts and platform lifts ramps, including kerb ramps and step ramps stairs telephones special purpose building technical requirement audit forms: restaurants and cafeterias medical facilities retail shops libraries hotels and motels transportation premises. |
Required audit personnel must include at least one of the following: | identified audit contact site manager site owner site supervisor. |
Building legislative requirements | anti-discrimination legislation Australian standards relating to building accessibility, including: AS 1428.1 Design for access and mobility - General requirements for access - New building work AS 1428.4.1 Design for access and mobility - Means to assist the orientation of people with vision impairment - Tactile ground surface indicators AS 1428.5 Design for access and mobility - Communication for people who are deaf or hearing impaired AS 2890.6 Parking facilities - Off-street parking for people with disabilities Building Code of Australia DDA DDA Premises Standards state and territory building legislation international standards relating to site accessibility local government building regulations. |
Access audit report | advice on compliance with existing legislation and usability by people with disabilities description of accessibility where required by client brief, recommendations for corrective action. |
Sectors
Access consulting