10 - Accessibility compliance

Purpose

To examine the Council's application and enforcement of the Building Code's requirements for access and facilities for people with disabilities.

Background

The Building Act and Building Code contain requirements to ensure people with disabilities are able to enter a building and carry out normal activities and functions within a building. These provisions include sections 117-120 of the Act. There are a range of training courses available for staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in this area.

Initial review

The Department found a number of instances of accessibility non-compliance in the case studies examined and considered that the Council's building control staff required further accessibility training. There was also no adequate process support or documentation being used for processing and inspection staff to assist in checking accessibility compliance.

Recommendations to the Council	Action taken by the Council before the follow-up review
Develop appropriate process support and documentation to assist building control staff to assess building consents for accessibility compliance and to ensure completed work is also compliant.	An accessibility checklist was developed.
Provide staff with training opportunities to ensure accessibility requirements of the Building Act and Building Code are consistently applied by processing and inspection staff.	All staff completed a Barrier Free training course.

Follow-up review

While the Council has implemented the recommendations of the initial review report, accessibility compliance was still an issue that needed improving as the Department found examples of completed building projects that did not meet accessibility requirements. Examples included level entry access not being provided, car parking for people with disabilities not being provided, toilet facility doors that did not have grab rails and missing international symbol of access signage.

Recommendations to the Council	Response from the Council
Strengthen its system for checking accessibility compliance by considering mechanisms such as regular on-site peer review, undertaking internal audits of completed work and providing continued training.	The Council advised that compliance is ensured through the application of a competency framework. An internal audit function is to be developed and implemented and will include accessibility compliance. Training has been addressed as a component of a comprehensive training and development framework.

Conclusion

The Council has made progress in implementing the recommendations made over the review. However, this is an issue that needs ongoing work to ensure that accessibility compliance is consistently being achieved. Both review visits found evidence of non-compliant building work that had been approved.