AS1428.1-2009 Standard For Access & Mobility

The minimum Australian Standards used to ensure accessibility for people who use wheeled mobility devices like wheelchairs and scooters are based on research in anthropometry – the measurement of body sizes and physical abilities. The anthropometric data on wheeled mobility users that formed the basis for the technical requirements of AS1428.1 2009, were generated from research completed in 1983 by John Bails using a very small research sample that only included individuals aged between 18 and 60 years. The methods used in the Bails study were not reported in detail, rendering them difficult to evaluate.

According to subsequent reviews of the study, Bails recruited participants from attendees at disability support centres and institutions. Eligible participants used a manual or powered wheelchair. Scooter users were not included in the study. Data relating to the needs of people with a wider variety of specific disabilities e.g. hearing, vision and cognitive challenges was not collected.

The research focused primarily on testing of full-size simulations of elements found in the built environment, such as doorways, environmental controls, furniture and fixtures that were configured to meet the Australian standards at the time.

Since 1983, many changes have occurred in the body sizes of the Australian population, the demographics of people who use wheeled mobility devices and the characteristics of equipment that they use, yet the basis for the minimum access standards has not changed.

The current access and mobility standard AS1428.1-2009 is based on research that is more than 38 years old and may be considered significantly out of date. Therefore, it may be reasonable to assume that the access needs of many people with a variety of disabilities in 2021 will not be fully met by complying with this standard.