Disability Building Standard Code Bill 2018

A bill for an act to regulate access into buildings for disabled people and to ensure older buildings are fixed so they can comply.

Written by u/tbyrn21

Explanatory Memorandum

This bill is designed to ensure that there is one, national code for buildings to adhere to with disability access. It will cover on various methods and on buildings of both old and new.

Second Reading Speech

Mr Speaker, there are many, many buildings around Australia which do not have suitable access to people like myself with a disability. In this day and age of equality, I find it disgraceful that there are many, many citizens that are discriminated against.

Mr Speaker this bill creates a nationwide standard for buildings across Australia, and regulates that older buildings also comply. Building age should no longer be a valid excuse. It is high time that we open these buildings up so that people like myself can actually use them.

The Parliament of AustraliaSim enacts the following

PART 1 - PRELIMINARY

1. Commencement

The provisions in this law will commence on the 1st of January 2019 and on gaining Royal Assent.

2. Definitions

Building is defined as any building which a person would normally go which is not a private residence.

Elevator is defined as a mechanical device which is used to transfer between one floor and another.

Entry is defined as the connection between the floor of a building and the outside of the building.

Floor is defined as an area of a building which does not need a ramp, stairs or elevator to travel across, but does to travel between.

Stair is defined as a vertical lip which cannot be traversed by a wheelchair.

Staircase is defined as one or more stairs which is used to transfer between one floor and another.

Ramp is defined as a sloped surface suitable for travelling both up and down and is used to transfer between one floor and another.

PART 2 - APPLICATION

3. Buildings

3.1 All Floors of a new building must be accessible via a ramp or elevator where applicable.

3.1.1 If a floor is level to the street or surrounding the entry and there is not a staircase to it then there is no need to add a ramp or elevator.

3.2 Pre-Existing Buildings are to make arrangements to ensure that they comply with 3.1.

3.2.1 Any building with heritage status or other historical importance, or buildings where it is structurally impossible to make major renovations to the building may apply for an exemption and it will be dealt with on a case by case basis with exemptions allowable where renovations may damage the building or ruin the historical significance.

3.2.2 $1 billion is set aside into a fund to assist buildings to comply and will be used to help buildings which need it more.

4. Ramps

4.1 A ramp is not to have a gradient larger than 1 in 7, and is to have a flat section every 10 metres.

4.2 A ramp is to be atleast 1.5 metres wide.