Do I Need a Disability-Compliant Door for My Steel Shed in?

When you’re thinking about accessibility for a shed, especially if someone using the shed has limited mobility it pays to know not just about thresholds and sills, but also doors, handles, clearances and hardware. This post outlines the key requirements from Australian accessibility standards and why they matter.

What the Accessibility Standards Require (for Accessible Buildings)

If a building (or part of a building) is required to comply with accessibility regulations, doors and entryways must meet certain standards under Disability (Access to Premises — Buildings) Standards 2010 and related code applicable under the National Construction Code (NCC), typically referencing AS 1428.1: Design for Access and Mobility.

Here are the main features you need to know about:

Minimum Doorway / Clear Opening Width

• A doorway used as part of an accessible path must provide a clear opening width of at least 850 mm (when the door is open to its usable angle) for a single leaf. Both our Taurean PA Doors and our Larnec PA doors are available in a 920mm option to achieve this.
• With double doors, at least the active leaf must satisfy the 850 mm clearance.
• The “clear opening” refers to the unobstructed space — meaning door frame stops, architraves, skirting, and open-door thickness are taken into account

Door Hardware (Handles, Locks, Controls)

To ensure ease of use and accessibility:

• Door handles must be operable with one hand only — no tight grasping, twisting or fine motor control required.
• Lever-type handles are recommended instead of round “knob” types. For sliding doors, “D”-type handles are suggested.
• The handle (or latch) height should be between 900 mm and 1100 mm above finished floor level to suit both seated and standing users.
• For locking snibs — e.g. on sliding doors — the lever handle must have a minimum length of 45 mm from the centre of the spindle.

Door Operation & Force

• For non-fire doors fitted with closers, the force required to open the door — and to hold it open from about 60° to 90° — should not exceed 20 newtons (N). This ensures people with limited strength can use them.
• Doors should open wide enough so the clear opening width is achievable with a wheelchair or mobility aid.

Thresholds, Sills & Floor Transitions

• External doors (or doors on accessible paths of travel) should have a level threshold or a gentle threshold ramp rather than a high step. This ensures safe transition for wheelchairs, walkers or scooters.
• Where a ramp or threshold ramp is required, it must comply with the slope and height requirements from AS 1428.1: typically gentle gradient (often no steeper than 1:8 for small rises) and smooth transition
• Surfaces on continuous accessible paths and circulation spaces must be slip-resistant and allow smooth transitions between surfaces, with minimal vertical change, ideally 0 mm (± tolerance for construction).

Visual Contrast & Safety (for Low Vision Users)

• Doors (including leaf, jamb, surrounding wall/architrave) should have a luminance contrast of at least 30% to help people with low vision identify the doorway.
• If a door, sidelight, or glazed panel might be mistaken for an open doorway (e.g. fully glazed door or large glass panels), visual indicators — such as bands or markings — should be used per AS 1428.1.

What This Means for a Shed (If You Decide to Make It Accessible)

If you decide your shed should have disability-compliant access (for example, for a wheelchair user, mobility aid user, or future-proofing), here’s how you can apply these requirements:

• Use a door leaf whose open position gives at least 850 mm clear width — in practice, that means using a wider door (often 920 mm nominal leaf) rather than a standard narrow internal door.
• Fit a lever-style door handle (not a round knob), placed between 900–1100 mm high from floor level — ideally around 1000 mm for comfort.
• Ensure the door can be operated with one hand, minimal force, and opens at least 90°.
• Provide a level threshold or threshold ramp instead of a raised sill, or a bevelled low-lip sill if threshold ramp not used.
• Make sure surfaces and transitions — from ground to shed floor — are smooth, slip-resistant, and visually clear (good contrast on doors, door frames, architraves) for accessibility.

Why It Matters — Even if Not Legally Required for a Shed

Even if your shed is technically a private “non-habitable” building (and thus outside mandatory accessibility compliance in many cases), there are good reasons to design with accessibility:

• If someone in your household uses a wheelchair, a walker, or has limited mobility, these design details make access much easier and safer.
• If you convert the shed later — into a workshop, guest room, studio, home office, or other space — having compliant doors and thresholds already in place will save you cost, headache, and renovation time.
• If your shed might be used by a visitor, family member, or someone with temporary mobility restrictions (e.g., recovering from an injury), accessibility makes it more inclusive and better-designed.

In other words: doing it right now gives flexibility for future changes — without compromising convenience today.