Commercial & Industrial Accessibility Guide

Why This Matters

Commercial and industrial developments have significant public-facing accessibility obligations under the DDA Premises Standards. Retail shops, restaurants, offices, and community facilities must be accessible to customers, staff, and visitors with disabilities. Industrial developments with public reception areas, showrooms, or staff amenities also fall under these requirements.

Non-compliance leads to DDA complaints, loss of business, and costly retrofits. Getting it right from the design stage is significantly cheaper than fixing it after construction.

Public-Facing Areas (Retail & Hospitality)

Shops, restaurants, cafes, and other customer-facing spaces have the highest compliance requirements. Every visitor must be able to enter, move through, and use the space independently.

• Step-free entrance from street level (max 5mm threshold)
• Automatic or easy-to-operate entry doors (max 20N force)
• Accessible point-of-sale counter (at 850mm height)
• Clear aisle widths between displays (minimum 1000mm)
• Accessible fitting rooms (minimum 1 per store, 2000mm x 2000mm)
• Accessible seating in restaurants (at least 1 per 20 seats)
• Accessible menu options (large print, braille, QR code digital)
• Hearing loop at service counters and reception

Office & Commercial Spaces

Office buildings, co-working spaces, and commercial tenancies must provide accessible workplaces for both employees and visitors.

• Accessible reception and waiting area
• At least one accessible meeting room per floor
• Accessible break room and kitchen facilities
• Lift access to all floors (or ramp if single-level)
• Accessible workstations (adjustable 680–900mm height)
• Accessible storage and filing at reachable heights (below 1350mm)

Industrial & Warehouse

Industrial and warehouse developments often assume accessibility isn't required. It is. Any area accessible to staff or the public must comply.

• Accessible visitor reception and waiting area
• Accessible visitor toilets in public-facing areas
• Accessible staff amenities (toilets, showers, breakroom)
• Accessible parking for staff and visitors (per AS2890.6)
• Accessible showroom with level entry (if applicable)
• Clear paths of travel from parking to main entrance
• Adequate lighting along all accessible routes (min 40 lux)

Amenities & Facilities

Amenity provisions are among the most commonly non-compliant elements. These requirements apply across all commercial and industrial building types.

• Accessible toilets per AS1428.1 on every publicly accessible floor
• Accessible ambulant toilet provision (1 per 4 standard toilets)
• Accessible baby change facilities
• Accessible drinking fountain (at 800–900mm height)
• Accessible fire stairs with area of refuge (if above ground floor)
• Staff shower facilities with accessible provision

Parking & External Access

The accessible journey starts in the car park. If a visitor can't get from their car to the front door, nothing else matters.

• Accessible parking bays (2400mm wide + 2400mm shared area)
• Accessible parking within 30m of main entrance
• Kerb ramps at all pedestrian crossings (1:8 max gradient)
• Tactile ground surface indicators at car park/pedestrian interfaces
• Accessible paths minimum 1200mm wide from parking to entry
• Adequate signage directing to accessible entrance

Signage & Wayfinding

Signage is one of the easiest things to get right — and one of the most commonly missed. Clear, compliant signage helps everyone navigate the building safely.

• International Symbol of Access at accessible entrances
• Braille and tactile signage at lift landings and key areas
• High-contrast directional signage (min 30% luminance contrast)
• Accessible evacuation diagrams (at 1200–1600mm height)
• Hearing loop signage where installed

Common DDA Non-Compliance Issues

These are the five most common accessibility failures we see in commercial and industrial projects across Victoria. Each one can result in a DDA complaint and expensive post-construction remediation.