The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is well and truly under way around Australia, which has opened up the need for innovations in the residential sector to help with disability access. Adelle King looks at why elevators could find a place in your next job. 

The idea of universal design has been around for years and its principles have been implemented around the world to create buildings that are inherently accessible to all people regardless of age, capability or background.

Australia’s ageing population first sparked interest in this concept but since the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), there has been increased interest in the idea. This is because the NDIS reduces the perceived financial burden of integrating universal design principles into construction and has highlighted the potential business opportunities in the accessibility space.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), approximately 20% of Australians have a long-term disability, which means there is a huge market for accessible homes in Australia. With the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) around the country, new technologies are receiving funding to help achieve equal access, making it easier for building contractors to integrate accessibility into the design of buildings and tap into this new market.

One of the new technologies funded under the NDIS is residential wheelchair lifts, which were once considered an expensive luxury but are now becoming more affordable and widespread.

Under the NDIS, funding is provided for home modifications that change a building’s structure, fixture or fittings to enable people with a disability to live safely and as independently as possible. This includes home elevators, which are considered an investment funding for capital costs under the home modification category.

While Australian Premises Standards have improved accessibility in public spaces, there has previously been little funding set aside for people to make their own homes more accessible outside of ramps, rails and widened doorways.

Now, with the rollout of the NDIS it has become easier for home owners to tailor accessibility to individual needs and made home lifts a more affordable modification option.

“Since the announcement of the NDIS, we’ve had more people enquiring about home elevators for disability access. It’s yet to really catch fire because the NDIS has only just began its rollout but we can see this becoming quite a big market,” says Next Level Elevators managing director Daniel Mawson.

Next Level Elevators is an Australian company that designs, manufactures and imports a range of accessibility lifts that blend quality, safety and affordability. It is also a registered NDIS provider.

“We work with the customer to develop construction solutions and create a partnership designed specifically to meet their accessibility requirements,” says Daniel.

There are a handful of legitimate residential lift companies on the market but according to Daniel, what sets Next Level Lifts apart is the company’s innovative, space saving electric lifts, some of which do not require lift shafts.

“Electric lifts are more economical than hydraulic elevators, which most of the home lift industry supply, and hydraulic lifts have pumps, oil, oil seals or hydraulic lines that will need replacing. Our lifts have less consumable parts, which makes them very service friendly,” says Daniel.

“What we’ve been able to do is design electric lifts that are basically being sold at the same price as the hydraulic market, as well as our Compact electric lifts that do not even require a lift shaft.”

The Compact Home Lift has one of the smallest wheelchair footprints on the market at 1.44m2 and features two parallel and vertical guides that bear the load of the lift to create a self supporting structure. This eliminates the need for load bearing walls and an elevator shaft.

Since these lifts do not require elevator shafts, the installation process is simplified and can be completed in two to three days. Next Level Lift elevators can go virtually anywhere and Daniel says the company is yet to find a home that it cannot fit on.

“The Compact and Ascent Home Lifts are designed specifically for the home lift market rather than as an afterthought of old technology. They’re products that have only been around for the past few years and we’re hoping they will really change the industry,” says Daniel.

“Our fully Automatic Ascent lift runs on very similar technology to the Compact lift but needs a lift shaft. This is only a timber framed shaft though so the customer saves thousands of dollars compared with other companies. Again, this has one of the smallest footprints on the market at 1.2m x 1.4m for a wheelchair lift capable of carrying up to 250kg, and it can be virtually retrofitted anywhere into an existing home.”

As the NDIS continues to expand its reach, it’s likely that similar innovations that receive funding in the residential sector will change how the building industry operates. “It’s not every day you get to be involved with products that affect people’s lives in a positive way so it’s something to be excited about,” says Daniel.