“The work that we are doing is future proofing housing for all Australians, including seniors and those living with a disability,” Griffith University senior lecturer Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM said.

An emergency physician who lives with quadriplegia after an horrific accident while in medical school at Griffith, Dr Palipana pushed fiercely for changes to the construction code.

From September 2022, all new houses will be required to be built to the Livable Housing Design Silver Level accessibility standard in the National Construction Code, which includes seven core design elements to ensure greater levels of safety and accessibility.

“Going into the future, it means all new houses will have a minimum standard, so new stock will be accessible for a lot of people, you won’t have to make modifications and a lot of people will be able to stay in their homes rather than going into care facilities or group living settings,” Palipana said.

“I have been looking for accessible housing for a long time and it’s very difficult to find a place.

“If you wanted to retrofit, it’s quite costly.

“Most of us will grow to be old and it enables people to live independently and in their home for longer.”

Menzies Health Institute Disability and Rehabilitation Program Director Professor Elizabeth Kendall said the change in standards would mean that eventually, housing in the community would suit the needs of people with a range of disabilities ensuring they can get on with their lives sooner.

“Home is a place where we should feel safest and most comfortable, but for many Australians with disability, their home does not meet their needs,” she said.

“This campaign was extremely important given years of research conducted at Griffith University’s Hopkins Centre, focused on universal design that allows people with disabilities to enjoy the same privileges as other citizens.

“Research conducted by the Hopkins Centre shows that when suitable housing is not available, many people with serious injuries remain in hospital for much longer than is necessary.”

Professor Kendall also chairs the Griffith University Disability Advisory Committee and said the reforms were a “huge win”.

“These changes are not complex or costly, but they can pave the way for more significant changes later,” she said.

“There will always be challenging circumstances where accessibility is difficult to but at least we are on a positive pathway.”

Professor Kendall acknowledged the important role of key groups such as Liveable Housing Australia, The Australian Network for Universal Housing Design Australia and the Queenslanders with Disability Network for helping make the reform a reality.