SDA Rules: What You Need to Know about Getting Disability Accommodation

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a social support scheme that helps people with disabilities in Australia to receive the care and support they need to lead a more independent life. If you have a severe disability and are looking for specialised housing assistance, understanding the NDIS SDA rules can be pretty overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. 

In this article, you will learn about the NDIS SDA rules, how it works, who is eligible for NDIS SDA funding, what services or supports you may be eligible for through the NDIS, and how to get assistance from an NDIS housing advisor if you feel that you need more help.

How Do the SDA Rules Work?

If you have been diagnosed with a disability, and are receiving NDIS support, you might also be eligible for SDA funding. Your level of disability will determine the level of support that you need in order to live an independent life and receive SDA (Specialist Disability accommodation) funding. 

When you have been diagnosed with a disability, your doctor will refer you to an assessment team to determine whether you may be eligible for SDA (Specialist disability accommodation) funding. The assessment team will consist of various professionals, such as an Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Social worker, Doctor, and NDIS Plan Manager. 

Who Is Eligible for an SDA Funding?

In order to be eligible for SDA funding, you must:

• Have a permanent disability that has been diagnosed by a doctor, 
• Be under the age of 65, 
• And have a legal right to live in Australia. 

The NDIS will not fund a disability that you have only recently acquired and is still in the process of being diagnosed. For example, if you have been diagnosed with a disability, but it hasn’t been listed under the NDIS, or if you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you may not be eligible for SDA funding, even if you have a disability.

When a participant meets the SDA Rules Requirement?

A participant will meet the SDA rules requirement when they have a permanent and significant disability that substantially restricts their ability to perform one or more of the six core activities of daily living. 

Core activities of daily living are:

• Self-care, 
• Communication, 
• Education, 
• Employment, 
• Recreation, 
• And transportation. 

Participants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and the NDIS will determine whether a participant needs additional support to perform one of the core activities of daily living. In submitting their application to the NDIA for SDA funding, along with medical and OT reports, the participant needs to include what type of dwelling they wish to live in (house/apartment - alone/sharing etc) based on their needs and requirements as well as their goals - part of the ‘Choice and Control’ that is intrinsic to the fundamentals of the NDIS. The NDIS will then review the information that has been provided by the participant, and they will determine whether the participant needs additional support to perform one of the six core activities of daily living and what level of SDA funding they will require.

How to Get Assistance From an NDIS Housing Advisor

When you are going through your SDA funding application, even before you have been approved, you should get in touch with an NDIS housing advisor who can help you find the right SDA that you need.

Read our article: is NDIS housing a good investment, if you are a potential investor and want to invest in NDIS housing.