The Property Accessibility Assessment Tool (PAAT) helps entities identify and address property barriers to create more inclusive workplaces.
It goes beyond minimum compliance standards to focus on universal design principles and inclusive solutions that promote accessibility and genuine inclusion.
Using the PAAT is a proactive step towards building environments where every employee’s unique needs are recognised and supported. This paves the way for a more diverse, inclusive and productive workforce.
How it was developed
The PAAT forms part of Finance’s response to the Final Report on Action 10 of the Australian Public Service Disability Employment Strategy 2020-25.
Development was informed by a comprehensive survey, which aimed to identify and assess property accessibility barriers.
The survey was completed:
- by property officials in collaboration with members of the entity’s ability/disability/neurodiversity network
- across a sample of APS office tenancies (consistent with the entities who participated in the report).
Data was analysed by Autism Queensland for key themes.
Following the analysis, the PAAT was developed in consultation with stakeholders including:
- the Public Sector Neurodivergent Community of Practice, Steering Committee
- Property Working Group entities.
The Action 10 Final Report and related resources were also reviewed to identify and address more general property barriers for inclusion in the PAAT.
Five principles
The PAAT aligns with the Final Report’s 5 Principles Supporting Accessible Workplaces:
- Collaboration - completing the PAAT in collaboration with Property, ICT, HR teams and staff networks is essential to understanding access barriers and co-creating inclusive solutions to remove them.
- Planning - the PAAT guides and informs short and long-term property planning to increase accessibility and inclusion across current and future tenancies.
- Embed behaviours - completing the PAAT increases awareness of barriers and their impact, particularly on those with disabilities. The PAAT also includes specific considerations for disability inclusion training, policies, and procedures that foster a culture of inclusion.
- Sharing information - the PAAT guides users to consider a range of accessibility features throughout their premises and how this information is shared with staff and visitors.
- Continual review - the PAAT is a key part of an entities’ review process, prompting users to continually revisit and review accessibility barriers, assess the effectiveness of any solutions implemented, and update plans based on the latest information and technology.
