Myth:

Specialist Disability Accommodation is only for people who have physical disability.

Fact:

Eligibility for SDA is not only about physical disability. SDA eligibility is about the support you need for every day tasks and the type of home you need.

Exploring the fact

There is legislation that the NDIA must use to determine who is eligible for SDA funding. The legislation uses words like ‘extreme functional impairment’ and ‘very high support needs’ in relation to eligibility.

Extreme functional impairment is where a person requires a high amount of support from

another person to undertake day to day tasks, even if they already have equipment or technology.

Having very high support needs might mean you need support often throughout the day. This could be support with remembering what needs to be done, support with day to day tasks, or it might mean support to keep you or others safe.

The legislation also talks about things like: what type of home a person might need and what type of specific things in the home will provide the best support for the person/s living there.

Case study

Tom is 25 years old and has an acquired brain injury. Tom is able to walk without assistance but needs reminding and support to do things like take medication and have a shower. Tom also needs support with things like cooking and cleaning – he has difficulty completing these tasks and can be easily distracted.

In the past, Tom has left a saucepan on the stove because he was distracted and this caused a small fire. Tom doesn’t know how to manage unexpected situations like a medical emergency or a stranger turning up to his home, so he needs access to support at all times. Tom does not have road safety awareness, so he needs support when he leaves his home to go to the shops and medical appointments. Tom could be considered as having a very high need for support because he needs someone to support him often. Tom also needs specific things for his home that keep him safe and can help limit damage to his home.

Any questions?

Contact our NDIS Housing Advice Line on 1300 61 64 63 from Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm (AEDT).

Learn more about SDA

• The Housing Hub has great resources to help people understand SDA!  You can learn more about different types of housing and places to live here. 
• The Housing Hub also provides free information sessions about SDA and you can find more out here.
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