An access design review works best when the consultant receives the right project information early: current drawings, building classification, approval pathway, scope boundaries, existing-site constraints and the decisions that are still open. For Australian project teams, that preparation can save time because many access issues are coordination issues. They sit between architecture, levels, services, signage, finishes, tenancy boundaries, fire engineering and certification documentation.
This checklist is written for architects, building designers, developers, building surveyors, owners, facility managers, councils, schools, health operators and other teams preparing a building project for disability access review. It explains what to send your access consultant before a design review, why each item matters and where desktop advice needs to be followed by further documentation, testing or onsite inspection.
It is general information only. It is not legal advice, certification advice or a project-specific compliance assessment. Applicable requirements depend on the building classification, scope, jurisdiction, adopted NCC edition, approval pathway and final design.
What is an access design review?
An access design review is a desktop assessment of drawings and supporting documents against the access requirements that apply to a project. In most Australian commercial, public and multi-residential contexts, the access pathway may involve the NCC Volume One access provisions, the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, referenced Australian Standards and any project-specific approval conditions.
The review is not just a mark-up exercise. A useful access consultant should help the project team identify missing information, practical coordination risks and matters that may need design change, further evidence or a formal report. ASN provides this type of advice through access consultant services across Australia, including design reviews, audits and supporting compliance documentation.
Why early review matters
Late access findings are expensive because they often affect built dimensions, gradients, door swings, sanitary layouts, lift interfaces, joinery, finishes or product selections. By the time a project reaches construction, a small drawing issue can become a redesign, a substitution delay or a difficult performance solution conversation.
Early review gives the team time to resolve the issue while the design is still flexible. It also helps the architect or building designer ask better questions of the building surveyor, client and builder before documentation is locked for development approval, construction certificate, building permit or tender.
1. Confirm the building classification, use and approval pathway
Start with the basics. Your access consultant needs to know the building classification, the proposed use, the relevant approval stage and whether the review is for concept design, town planning, tender, building permit, construction certificate, occupancy or an existing-building upgrade.
This context affects the scope of the review. A new school building, a hospital refurbishment, a retail tenancy, a mixed-use development and a warehouse office fitout can raise different access questions even where the same NCC provisions appear in the background.
2. Send the full drawing set, not isolated plans
Access does not stop at a compliant toilet layout. A review normally needs enough information to understand how a person arrives, enters, moves through, uses and exits the relevant parts of the building.
Where available, include:
- site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections;
- door, hardware, glazing and window schedules;
- reflected ceiling plans where lighting or signage coordination is relevant;
- sanitary, end-of-trip, change-room and fitout details;
- landscape, civil and external levels drawings;
- car parking plans and swept-path assumptions where accessible parking is part of the scope;
- fire engineering, evacuation or performance solution information if it affects access or egress; and
- room data sheets, equipment layouts and product schedules where they affect reach, circulation or operation.
3. Show the accessible path of travel clearly
One of the most common design-review gaps is an incomplete accessible path of travel. Project teams may document an accessible entrance but omit the route from the allotment boundary, accessible car parking, public transport interface, adjoining building, lift lobby or tenancy boundary.
Where the project includes existing buildings or staged works, mark the exact area under review. If only a tenancy fitout is included, identify base-building interfaces and any assumptions about common areas. If works affect a principal pedestrian entrance, clarify whether new affected part obligations, landlord works or separate base-building upgrades are being considered.
4. Provide levels, gradients and vertical circulation information
Plans without levels are usually not enough. Access consultants need finished floor levels, external pavement levels, threshold details, ramp grades, landing lengths, stair details and lift information to understand whether a route can be used safely and independently.
If civil or landscape drawings are still preliminary, say so. Early advice can still be useful, but the access consultant should be told which gradients are fixed and which are provisional.
5. Identify entrances, doors, circulation and controls
Doorways and circulation spaces create frequent access issues because they interact with walls, handles, furniture, fixtures, security hardware and user approach direction. Send door schedules, hardware schedules and any access-control details such as intercoms, swipe readers, call buttons or entry automation.
If the project includes reception counters, payment points, kiosks, lockers, meeting rooms or shared amenities, include joinery drawings and furniture layouts. These details can affect whether a person can approach, reach, communicate and complete the intended task.
6. Include sanitary facilities, end-of-trip and change areas
Accessible and ambulant sanitary facilities should be reviewed as coordinated rooms, not just plan diagrams. The access consultant may need fixture selections, door swings, grabrail locations, accessories, clearances, circulation spaces, wall build-ups, floor wastes, shower screens and operational assumptions.
Where adult change facilities, pool facilities, patient areas, school amenities or aged-care spaces are part of the scope, identify them early. The relevant access expectations may depend on the building type, facility provided and adopted technical criteria.
7. Do not leave signage, TGSI and luminance contrast until procurement
Signage, tactile ground surface indicators and luminance contrast are often treated as late finishing items. That can create avoidable rework. A sign may be fabricated correctly but installed in the wrong location. A tactile indicator may be shown generally but conflict with a door swing, stair approach or external paving setout. A colour selection may look clear in a render but need measured luminance contrast evidence before construction.
ASN has separate guidance on accessible signage requirements and when project teams should check luminance contrast. For design review, the practical step is to provide signage schedules, finish schedules, colour references and product information as soon as they exist.
8. Provide product evidence before products are locked in
Where a design relies on a proprietary product, do not send only a marketing brochure. Provide technical data, installation instructions, test reports, certification evidence or supplier statements that explain the relevant access claim. This can apply to door hardware, ramps, lifts, tactile indicators, Braille and tactile signs, hearing augmentation systems, sanitary fixtures, changing facilities and accessible parking systems.
ASN has previously outlined what project teams should request when reviewing accessibility product claims. The same principle applies during design review: if the product is part of the access solution, the evidence should be reviewable.
9. Flag departures, performance solutions and unresolved assumptions
If the design cannot follow a Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway for a particular item, say so early. The access consultant needs to know whether the team is seeking design change, confirmation of a possible non-compliance, or input into a performance solution pathway.
Performance-based approaches require careful project-specific work. They should be coordinated with the building surveyor, relevant consultants and supporting evidence. ASN can assist with DDA compliance report work and broader accessibility assessment tasks, but the scope should be defined before the review begins.
What a useful access review response should include
A good review should be practical, traceable and proportionate to the project stage. It should identify the drawing or document reviewed, describe the access issue in plain language, indicate the relevant compliance pathway at a high level, and recommend what the project team should do next.
For early-stage design, that may mean design advice and risk notes. For permit or certification support, it may require a more formal disability access report for building permits. For existing buildings, a desktop review may need to be followed by a building accessibility audit or onsite inspection.
Access design review request checklist
Before sending drawings to ASN or another access consultant, check whether your brief includes:
- project name, address, building classification and proposed use;
- approval stage and deadline;
- current architectural, civil, landscape and services drawings;
- existing-building scope boundaries and tenancy/base-building responsibilities;
- door, hardware, signage, finishes and product schedules where available;
- levels, gradients, ramps, stairs, lifts and parking information;
- sanitary, change-room, end-of-trip and specialist facility details;
- known departures, performance-solution assumptions or surveyor queries; and
- the type of output required: mark-up, advice note, design report, permit report or audit scope.
Frequently asked questions
When should we request an access design review?
Request a review as soon as the design is developed enough to show access routes, levels, entrances, amenities and major user functions. For many projects, that means before tender documentation or building approval submission, with a later check when details and product selections are clearer.
Is an access design review the same as a DDA compliance report?
No. A design review is usually a desktop review of drawings and coordination risks. A DDA compliance report is a more formal document with a defined scope and purpose. The right output depends on the project stage, approval pathway and what the building surveyor, owner or project team needs.
Can an access consultant review drawings only?
Yes, but a drawing-only review has limits. It can identify many design issues, but it cannot verify constructed gradients, installed luminance contrast, signage locations, door forces, maintenance conditions or site constraints unless those matters are documented or inspected.
Next steps
If you are preparing a project for approval, tender or construction, send ASN the latest drawing set and a short note describing the approval stage, scope and timeframe. ASN can confirm whether a desktop access design review, a more formal report or an onsite audit is the right next step.