Accessible Features Every Medium Term Accommodation Should Have

Choosing medium term accommodation is usually a decision made under pressure. A hospital discharge, a change in circumstances or a wait for a permanent home all come with a deadline attached, and it is easy to focus on the rent and the location and walk past the details that decide whether the place actually works for the person living in it.

This is the list to take to the inspection. It sets out the features that matter, and the dimensions behind them, so you can check what a property genuinely offers rather than what the listing implies.

1. Wheelchair-Accessible Entrances and Pathways

An accessible home starts at the front door. Look for an entrance without steps, ramps where there is a change in level, and smooth, non-slip paths inside and out.

• Doorways need a clear opening of at least 820mm under the NCC’s liveable housing provisions (Livable Housing Design Standard, clauses 2.1 and 3.1), and 850mm where a wheelchair is in daily use, which is the Gold level of the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines and the minimum AS 1428.1 sets for a continuous accessible path of travel (clause 13.2).
• Ramps need gentle slopes and handrails.
• Automatic doors or lever-style handles are easier to use than round knobs.

2. Accessible Bathrooms and Toilets

The bathroom is where accessibility is won or lost. Features to check for:

• Roll-in showers with grab bars
• Height-adjustable shower heads
• Non-slip flooring
• Raised or adjustable toilets
• Enough clear space to turn a wheelchair

These are the details that allow a resident to manage their own hygiene safely.

3. Kitchen Accessibility

A kitchen a resident can use independently changes the whole feel of a stay. Key features include:

• Lowered benchtops and sinks for wheelchair access
• Clear space under the sink and cooktop for seated use
• Lever taps and easy-to-reach storage
• Pull-out shelves and drawers

4. Bedroom Accessibility

The bedroom needs room to move and a layout that works with mobility aids:

• Enough space around the bed for a wheelchair or frame
• An adjustable bed where it is needed
• Wardrobes and drawers at reachable heights
• An emergency call system within reach of the bed

5. Smart and Assistive Technology

Technology is doing more of the accessibility work in newer and renovated properties:

• Automated lighting and climate control
• Voice-activated or touch controls for doors, windows and appliances
• Visual and auditory alarms for emergencies
• Smart home features that can help monitor wellbeing

6. Safe and Supportive Outdoor Areas

Outdoor space is part of the accommodation, not a bonus. It gives residents somewhere to be outside safely:

• Smooth, non-slip surfaces
• Ramps and handrails where needed
• Garden beds at accessible heights
• Seating and shade

7. Emergency and Safety Features

Safety features protect residents and reassure the people supporting them:

• Call buttons or cords in bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas
• Accessible fire exits and a clear evacuation plan
• Non-slip floors and handrails throughout
• Well-lit hallways and staircases

8. Proximity to Support Services

Location is an accessibility feature too. Look for a property that is:

• Close to health services, shops and transport
• Easy for support workers and therapists to reach
• Served by safe walking and wheelchair routes

A home that is well designed but far from the services a resident needs every week is only half the job.

Checking the Details at an Inspection

The dimensions and features above come from the accessible housing provisions in the National Construction Code and the Liveable Housing Design guidelines. Not every property will meet all of them, and older homes will meet fewer without renovation, so it is worth asking which standard a property has been built or updated to.

Take this list to the inspection and work through it room by room. Measure the doorways where you can, look at how the bathroom drains, and picture the resident using the kitchen at their height. Ten minutes with the checklist tells you more than any brochure.

Prioritising the Entrance, Bathroom and Kitchen

Accessibility is not a single feature but a combination, and the details decide whether medium term accommodation works as a home or merely shelters someone between moves. Prioritise the entrance, the bathroom and the kitchen, check the emergency features, and ask directly which guidelines the property follows. The right property is the one that needs the fewest compromises.

Sources: National Construction Code 2022 Volume Two Part H8 and the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard 2022 (clauses 2.1, 3.1, 3.3); AS 1428.1 clause 13.2; Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (Gold level).