Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to inspect outdoor recreation areas in order to assess their accessibility for people with disabilities. The assessment process involves interpreting and implementing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and other applicable state and territory legislation where it exists, as well as international accessibility best practice. It involves communicating with regulatory authorities, and building and property owners and managers regarding access compliance requirements.
The unit supports access audits of city parks and landscaped areas, rural environmental parks and national parks, including assessing the existing level of site accessibility for the purposes of advertising the features of the area or for facility upgrading. It applies to access consultants working alone or as a member of a team to complete outdoor recreation area access audits on behalf of clients, who may be building and property owners and managers; regulatory authorities; commonwealth, state, territory and local government representatives; and developers.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory, or certification requirements apply to this unit of competency at the time of endorsement.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Respond to client inquiry regarding outdoor recreation area access audit. | 1.1. | Client requesting access audit of site is identified and their authority to act is established according to organisational requirements. |
1.2. | Client requirements are discussed, clarified and confirmed according to organisational requirements. | ||
1.3. | Own competence and organisational capability to respond to client needs are determined and assessed. | ||
1.4. | Client brief for audit and authority to proceed are negotiated with client and documented according to organisational requirements. | ||
1.5. | Contractual arrangements for audit are negotiated, confirmed, documented and stored according to client, organisational and legislative requirements. | ||
2. | Prepare for access audit. | 2.1. | Copies of documentation required for audit are obtained. |
2.2. | Site access arrangements are negotiated and contact person is identified according to client and organisational requirements. | ||
2.3. | Access audit checklist suited to scale of task and site is prepared. | ||
2.4. | Required audit personnel are sourced and briefed. | ||
2.5. | Required tools and equipment are identified, sourced and checked for serviceability in line with manufacturer specifications. | ||
3. | Conduct access audit. | 3.1. | Site is accessed according to agreed access arrangements and following work health and safety (WHS) procedures. |
3.2. | Extent to which outdoor recreation areas within site boundary comply with requirements for access for people with disabilities is determined using access audit checklist criteria. | ||
3.3. | Aspects of outdoor recreation area that do not meet minimum requirements of audit checklist or comply with access requirements of legislation are determined. | ||
3.4. | Strategies that address areas of access non-compliance are developed, including strategies for alternative means of providing full recreation opportunity spectrum for users. | ||
4. | Finalise access audit report. | 4.1. | Draft access audit report for client that satisfies contractual arrangements is prepared according to organisational requirements. |
4.2. | Feedback on draft report is sought and incorporated according to organisational requirements, and report is completed. | ||
4.3. | Access audit report and associated documentation are forwarded to client according to organisational requirements and contractual arrangements. | ||
4.4. | Audit report follow-up with client is provided as required and according to organisational requirements and contractual arrangements. | ||
4.5. | Copy of access audit report and associated documentation is retained according to organisational and legislative requirements. | ||
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy the requirements of the elements, performance criteria, foundation skills and range of conditions of this unit.
The person must also:
conduct an access audit of the following different outdoor recreation areas:
one city park or public landscaped area
one rural environmental park or national park
develop and apply an access audit checklist for each site, detailing site-specific criteria for consideration in audit
provide a report relating to each of the above audits, that:
describes site accessibility, with clear links to the site-specific audit checklist criteria
interprets the impact of the full range of disabilities and the limitations that each disability places on the individual’s ability to access the environment
advises on site compliance with legislative requirements and usability by people with disabilities
fulfils contractual requirements with client
recommends, where required, corrective actions to:
enhance site accessibility
overcome areas of access non-compliance, including strategies for alternative means of providing full recreation opportunity spectrum for users.
In conducting the above access audits, the person must:
use effective consultation skills with clients and other key stakeholders to confirm and elicit access audit information
read and interpret plans of outdoor recreation areas
interpret and apply legislative requirements relating to disability access and evaluate the provision of access in relation to those requirements
interpret how the full range of environmental barriers impacts on people with a range of disabilities and impairments
use research skills to source information that assists in developing potential solutions to the provision of adequate access
use measurement tools in line with manufacturer specifications and record collected data accurately
apply and adhere to site-specific work health and safety (WHS) requirements.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
key requirements of the following relating to determining accessibility of outdoor recreation areas and conducting outdoor recreation area access audits:
anti-discrimination legislation
Australian standards relating to site accessibility, including AS 1428 Design for access and mobility
Building Code of Australia
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
DDA Premises Standards
international standards relating to site accessibility
disability awareness to inform site audit, including:
range of disabilities to be considered when conducting site audit
disability-specific physical barriers to accessing site and its facilities
disability-specific minimum requirements for enhancing site accessibility
organisational requirements relating to conducting outdoor recreation area access audits, including:
client service standards
procedures for developing site-specific audit checklists
client privacy, confidentiality and security requirements
processes for recording collected audit data and administering records
procedures for writing and storing access audit reports
quality assurance requirements
limitations of own work role, responsibility and professional abilities with regard to above access audits
WHS procedures relating to outdoor recreation area access audits, including procedures for:
identifying hazards and controlling risks associated with conducting access audits
selecting and using personal protective equipment (PPE) required for above access audits.
Assessment Conditions
The following must be present and available to learners during assessment activities:
equipment:
PPE required for the outdoor recreation area access audits specified in the performance evidence
computer and software to access, retrieve, store and distribute audit-specific documentation
specifications:
Australian standards relating to site accessibility, including AS 1428 Design for access and mobility
Building Code of Australia
DDA
DDA Premises Standards
international standards relating to site accessibility
manufacturer specifications relating to equipment required to conduct access audit
relationships, including consultation with:
diverse range of clients, including:
building and property owners and managers
site supervisors
developers
regulatory authorities, including commonwealth, state, territory and local government representatives
colleagues.
Timeframe:
in line with timeframe in audit contractual arrangements.
Assessor requirements
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | maintain knowledge of current codes, standards, regulations, practices and industry updates relating to outdoor recreation area access matters. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret and use ratios and scales to analyse design and dimensions of recreation area against access requirements and provision. |
Oral communication skills to: | facilitate discussion with clients to explore audit needs and proposed audit recommendations, demonstrating: command of language to convey information relating to the provision of access in a clear and accessible manner communication techniques suited to individual clients and required to clarify and elicit information convey knowledge and ideas through oral and visual means. |
Reading skills to: | read a range of complex texts and extract information relating to access requirements and specific site audits identify and assess information in complex text, site plans, diagrams, graphs and charts to track compliance of sites with accessibility requirements interpret building industry and outdoor recreation area terminology. |
Writing skills to: | write plain English audit reports that meet client requirements and detail accessibility audit outcomes that: are based on consultation with stakeholders and a detailed analysis of site environmental and physical characteristics impacting on access represent and convey the needs of diverse disabilities and impairments. |
Digital literacy skills to: | apply information technology and computer skills when accessing and preparing audit support documentation and reports. |
Initiative and enterprise skills to: | use opportunities to facilitate change for greater disability access. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Documentation required for audit must include: | manufacturer specifications relating to audit tools and equipment plans of site to be audited. |
Site access arrangements must include: | access and egress points keys, passes and security clearances timing of access WHS requirements, including required personal protective equipment (PPE). |
Access audit checklist must include: | access audit report form facility identification and data sheet minimum requirements summary sheets for site spaces and special areas for: accessible paths of travel to and within all areas of outdoor recreation area required by legislation to be accessible controls for doors, switches, and power points security alarm pads and help points directional signage on-site parking, reserved disability parking, and passenger set-down zones site access and accessible entrances special purpose facilities, such as restaurants, medical facilities, shops and libraries tactile ground surface indicators visitor buildings, rooms and spaces technical requirements for access audit forms additional to above minimum requirements: assembly areas dressing and fitting rooms drinking fountains external access paths and walking tracks gates and doors internal access, including lobbies and corridors interpretive exhibits, including assistive listening systems and supports, where relevant to exhibit interpretive signage lifts and platform lifts protective barriers at lookouts ramps rest areas stairs telephones toilets and showers. |
Required audit personnel | identified audit contact site manager site owner site supervisor. |
Legislation must include: | Australian standards relating to site accessibility, including AS anti-discrimination legislation Building Code of Australia DDA DDA Premises Standards international standards relating to site accessibility. |
Recreation opportunity spectrum must include: | complete list of all play experiences that can be gained from recreation area. |
Access audit report | advice on compliance with existing legislation and usability by people with disabilities description of accessibility where required by client brief, recommendations for corrective action. |
Sectors
Access consulting