Access
Part of Workspace accessibility
Recording accessibility issues for the operator
Describe an access barrier and its effect, assign a response, protect personal details and check whether the task works again.
Report an accessibility issue by describing the barrier, where and when it affects use, and what someone cannot do as a result.
Give the operator enough detail to respond and follow up. Do not put a person's diagnosis or private history in a general fault record.
Key accessibility reporting facts
- Privacy compliance
- Do not include diagnoses or private health history in general fault records
- Actionable detail required
- Include date, time, location, and effect on intended task
- Photo use
- May clarify obstruction but should not be required
Describe the task that failed
Identify the intended activity: entering the building, reaching a meeting room, using a toilet or receiving information in a usable format.
Record the point where it failed. “The lift to the booked room was unavailable when the meeting began” gives a responder more to act on than “the site is inaccessible”.
Add the date and time, the relevant entrance or room, whether the barrier is still present and any immediate effect on a planned visit.
A photo may clarify an obstruction when appropriate and permitted, but it should not be required. Include a person's contact details only when follow-up needs them.
Arrange an immediate response where needed
If a route, exit or essential facility cannot be used, contact the site's current response channel promptly and follow its safety instructions.
Ask what the affected person can use now, who will arrange it and whether it works for that person's purpose and hours.
Do not assume an escorted route, another floor or a remote meeting is suitable; check with the person concerned.
The operator may need the building manager, a contractor or a member's employer to help.
Record who has accepted the next action and who will update affected people. Forwarding a report without an owner does not resolve its effect.
How to respond to an accessibility issue
- Contact response channelNotify site’s current emergency or access support line promptly
- Confirm alternative accessAsk what the affected person can use now, who will arrange it, and if it meets their needs
- Verify suitabilityDo not assume escorted routes, remote meetings or other floors are suitable—confirm with the person
- Assign ownershipRecord who has accepted the next action and who will update affected people
Keep the record actionable
A practical entry includes:
Field / Record
- Barrier
- Observable condition or failed instruction
- Effect
- Task or route affected, including relevant hours
- Immediate response
- Alternative offered, or that none is confirmed
- Ownership
- Person or team taking the next action
- Follow-up
- Next update and how the outcome will be checked
Keep observation separate from suspected cause. A door failing to open with an authorised card is an observation; a defective reader is a possible cause to investigate.
Handle sensitive personal details through the organisation's appropriate process, and share them only with those who need them to arrange a response. Privacy Act obligations depend on the organisation and circumstances.
Recording accessibility issues: key steps for operators
- BarrierObservable condition or failed instruction
- EffectTask or route affected, including relevant hours
- Immediate responseAlternative offered, or that none is confirmed
- OwnershipPerson or team taking the next action
- Follow-upNext update and how the outcome will be checked
Check whether access was restored
After a reported repair or change, check the original task at a relevant time with an authorised user.
Ask the affected person whether the arrangement works for them.
If it does not, reopen the issue with the new observation and an owner; a scheduled repair or contractor visit alone does not establish the outcome.
Look for repeated barriers on the same route or facility.
Repeated obstructions may call for a change in how the area is managed as well as removal of the current obstruction. Update pre-arrival directions when an issue changes what visitors should expect.
