Access Audit of an Existing Building

ACCESS AUDIT OF AN
EXISTING BUILDING
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Barriers faced by the disable people............................................................................................3
Access and legislative factor........................................................................................................4
Introduction to the building.........................................................................................................4
Location and transport factor.......................................................................................................5
Building layout............................................................................................................................5
Accessibility features of the building i.e. the Chadstone Shopping Centre.................................5
Management responsibility..........................................................................................................6
Emergency equipments and evacuation.......................................................................................7
Important safety issues.................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Access audit also termed as the disability discrimination act audit, is like a survey of the
building of an environment to check it against the best practices of standards to specify its better
and convenient accessibility to the disabled user (McGregor-Lowndes and Crittall, 2019). It
involves the investigation across the building premises to determine whether it has legislation
access, or can have different cells and services for the service user group or not. Access audit
concept is continuously growing as and usually lay out by the various specialist which can be
architects, people with the disability. As the main purpose of the access audit is to know how
well mannerly a particular building is performing on the basis of its accessibility and ease of use
by numerous people that also address the people with the mobility and have the sensory
impairments. Following report will cover the access audit of Chadstone shopping centre that is
located in Malvern East, Victoria Australia. It will also highlight the different factors that are
available at shopping destination for the disable people.
MAIN BODY
Barriers faced by the disable people
In diverse society where the social inclusion is the major issue as demographics are
changing, in particular inhabitants are ageing and there is enhancement found in immigration.
Because of such it is important to lay out the access audit to know whether such buildings are
performing under rules and regulations or not. As there are many obstacles which the disable
people face in any context. In Australia there are many factors which suggests that people with
the disability face the issues as discriminatory attitudes during recruitment and at work place
negative behaviour by employers, lack of employment for disable people, these are the major
consideration which the government is trying to fix it with certain regulation and implementation
of the laws and act (Ahmad and et.al 2018). As for the building it is important to construct with
concern of every people, as some barriers are most of the people face the short breath or possible
have the ankle sprain can found stairs as difficult.
Other barriers are if the people do not have good grip then the circular doorknob is also
complex for them to use. And for the poor eye sight people street furniture that is not efficiently
cited is dangerous for them, they might get hurt and it can also cause the hazardous situation for
them. If in the building there is no guiding blocks at the pedestrian pathway is another problem,
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also no availability of the braille signs and railing in the lifts cause the major problem for the
disable people they might get into the sever accidents that might become a life threatening event
for them. Thus rules and regulations are implemented to overcome all the barriers that have been
faced by the disable people.
Access and legislative factor
Disability discrimination act 1992 and United nation’s convention for the disable people’s
rights gives the legislation act for the Australian governmental aspect for covering the issues that
is faced by the disable people and to allow them to access their rights in order to empowering
them. This act in Australia is implemented which is must followed by the organisations to avoid
any kind of discrimination against the disable people. It is found that chadstone shopping centre
follows the rules and standards that are implemented by government or they tries to follow it at
good extent. As physical access for the disabled people are there as have the disabled parking
spaces at every major entrance of the shopping centre. Travellators and lifts and other services
are available for the disable people (Jayus and Khan, 2019). It is also important to have the
sensory access that covers the people who have the sensory or vision impairments for that they
required a special design of signs, and labels as well as listening system so that it will be
convenient for the people with disability. Communication access should also be there to help the
people who have the complexity with the visions and language. It is also identified that
chadstone building follows the health and safety act for the wellbeing of their all customers and
staff members.
Introduction to the building
Chadstone shopping centre building also known as the chaddy that is opened in the year
1960 at Malvern East, Australia. It is consider as the biggest regional shopping centre in the
country, it has the 9300 free car parking services and also host the major trade events to attracts
the tourist. Both customers and the staff uses the building. Approximately there are 320
employees who are working on the daily basis in the building and aim to provide better facilities
to the guests. There main focus is also towards the disable people to help them with their better
services so that they will also enjoy their visiting. It is analysed that Chadstone shopping centre
has opened the changing place facility for the people with disability. As main purpose behind
this services is to allow the people with profound disability to access the better bathroom