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An Access Peer Review is a concept developed by Lee Wilson, an Accredited Disability Access
Consultant in Melbourne, Victoria.
Lee has a built a website to promote the idea of Access Peer Reviews and to provide information
on how appointing an Accredited Access Consultant to the consultants team can benefit your next
construction project.
An Access Peer Review is conducted by an Access Consultant, and involves a review of:
• an architectural design assessment • a professional opinion
• an expert opinion, or • an Alternative Solution report prepared
by another Access Consultant.
The Access Peer Review concept is comparable to the dual certification system used in structural
engineering certification, and the peer review system used in fire engineering.
The Access Peer Review should always be conducted by an Accredited Access Consultant.
Now, Accredited Access Consultants come from a number of fields, such as architecture,
occupational therapy, building surveying, disability care, and aged care.
But what they all have in common is a desire to improve the built environment and give
everyone the same rights of access to education, premises, public transport and the internet.
Choosing an Accredited Access Consultant to provide support and advice in any building
project should be a priority.
The Association of Consultants in Access, Australia also recommends that you select
"the most appropriate access consultant to suit your needs. As with any profession, there
are various levels of acquired skills, competencies, area of expertise, experience, availability".
Once you find an Access Consultant, contact them and ask some questions to make sure they
are the most suitable consultant for the project. It is also worth considering the company the
Access Consultant works for to determine if they have the capacity, resources and in-house
collective expertise to meet your needs.
The benefit of engaging an Accredited Access Consultant to undertake an Access Peer Review
is to help ensure compliance and mitigate risk. This is a small cost with great benefits
to the project team.
An Access Peer Review also helps to provide a second opinion, confirming that the correct
level of 'required' access is being provided into and throughout the proposed building.
Engaging an Accredited Access Consultant to conduct an Access Peer Review can help identify
potential problems earlier, resulting in better control of project costs and schedules.
And where a member of a project team, or the Building Certifier, has concerns over:
• the competency of the Access Consultant who prepared a report, or
• the content of an Access Alternative Solution, or
• the level of experience of the Access Consultant
They should consider engaging an Accredited Access Consultant to conduct an 'Access Peer
Review'.
Please go to the Association of Consultants in Access, Australia's website to find an
access consultant, or contact Lee on 0438 580 729. Thank you