Design For Dignity
Retail Guidelines

What are your responsibilities?

Practical applications

Scenario 1

A retailer leases the whole of a small building for her store and is undertaking work that requires a building approval. There is a step from the street to the front door and a toilet in the rear of the property which can be used by customers and staff. No accessible toilets are located within the building.

What does the retailer need to make accessible? The retailer has responsibility to ensure that the following areas of the building are accessible:

  • Area being upgraded.
  • Principal entrance.
  • Path of travel from entrance to new works.
  • Toilets on floor being upgraded.
  • Lifts which form the path of travel.

Scenario 2

A retailer leases a single shop contained within a shopping centre. The retailer is undertaking work at the rear of the store which requires building approval. Customers regularly complain that the shopping centre does not have a fully accessible toilet and that there are areas of the store that cannot be accessed because of the way that the display units are organised.

The retailer has responsibility for the area within their store. They have no requirement to upgrade the accessible toilet in the shopping centre.

The shopping centre owner has responsibility for the area leading to the leased premises and the accessible toilet in the common area. They only need to make any changes as part of a building approval in the shopping centre.

Scenario 3

A retailer operates their store from leased premises located on the upper floor of a small building. The building has three floors and each floor is less than 200m². There are some small steps at the front of the building with no other way in. There is no lift in the building and older customers are finding it difficult to get to the top floor. The building owner is upgrading aspects of the building and requires a building approval but does not want to install a lift.

Under the concessions listed in the Premises Standards, the lift does not need to be installed in a small building of not more than three floors (each floor less than 200m²). Other aspects of accessibility would need to be delivered such as making the front entrance accessible.

The outcome is not a very good one for the retailer who may consider finding more accessible premises at the end of their lease.