BACKGROUND 

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SDA Conferences and Events is a nationally recognised platform dedicated to advancing dialogue, education, and collaboration across the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL), and broader Disability and Impact housing sectors.

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Operating since 2020 as a Human Services Division of Jazcorp Australia Pty Ltd, our organisation draws upon more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of the built environment, compliance, care, and community.

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Our Origins: From Building Compliance to Participant-Centred Design

The foundations of SDA Conferences and Events stem from our early work through ADEB (Architects, Designers, Engineers, Builders)—a Jazcorp division licensed by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) in 2014 to deliver National Construction Code (NCC) tutorials and compliance education across the country.​

Our early mission was clear: Buildings must not only meet Code -  they must serve people. 

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Understanding the importance of occupant outcomes, we began shifting the conversation from compliance alone to designing for those who live, work, and receive care within those spaces. This shift prompted a broader evolution.

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Our Human Services division established Health2Ageducate in 2017 and ADEB Health and Aged Care, a national event and training program for the aged care sector, enabling providers, designers, and care professionals to collaborate on age-friendly, accessible infrastructure.

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As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reshaped Australia’s support landscape, we established NDISLINK Conferences and Events in 2019 to explore the intersection of disability services, operational challenges, and legislative frameworks.

 

We quickly recognized that many of the complexities faced by NDIS stakeholders mirrored those in the aged care sector- particularly around compliance, service delivery, and workforce pressures.

This led to a national series of events across both sectors, with several forums purposefully designed to include professionals from the built environment.

These integrated events fostered cross-sector collaboration, helping all parties—providers, planners, architects, and care professionals—gain deeper insight into one another’s priorities and perspectives, ultimately driving more informed and person-centred outcomes.

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The focus was not just on infrastructure, but on understanding the lived experience and operational challenges of the people the system serves.

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The Formation of SDA Conferences and Events
It was through our work with Access Consultants, SDA Assessors, Architects, and Certifiers, and direct engagement with SIL providers, Participants, and NDIS Providers, that the need for a dedicated SDA-focused platform became clear.

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SDA Conferences and Events was established in 2020 to support sector-wide collaboration and knowledge-sharing focused specifically on Specialist Disability Accommodation, its intersection with SIL, and the broader impact housing landscape.

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This platform was created to:

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• Align designers, builders, and developers with the real-world needs of participants and support providers

• Bring clarity to compliance and regulatory obligations

• Strengthen ethical provider networks and stakeholder engagement

• Drive meaningful conversations around housing accessibility, sustainability, and participant outcomes

• Ensure that all stakeholders remained updated, informed, connected and educated 

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Who we serve: 

Our conferences, roundtables, workshops, and forums attract a wide range of professionals across Australia, including:

• SDA and SIL Providers

• Builders, Developers, and SDA Investors

• Participants, Families, and Guardians

• Architects, Access Consultants, and SDA Design Specialists

• Town Planners and Local Government Officials

• SDA Assessors, Certifiers, and Auditors

• Short-Term,  Medium-Term, Crisis, and Mental Health Accommodation Providers

• Hospital Discharge and Transition Coordinators

• Lenders, Financiers, and Ethical Investment Advisors

• Support Coordinators, Advocates, and Allied Health Professionals

• NDIS Commission Representatives, Policy Makers, and Regulators

• Universities, Allied Health, Hospitals, Researchers 

• Impact Housing Professionals and Stakeholders 

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Bringing together these voices fosters collaboration, shared understanding, and practical, participant-led outcomes.

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Building Capacity through Membership and National Support Networks

To complement our events and create sustained impact, we’ve established several national sector support initiatives, including:

 

• NDISDA SDA Housing and Disability – Australia’s dedicated member body for SDA professionals, offering national representation, information sharing, and sector-wide ethics and networking. Through national conferences, strategic roundtables, and cross-sector working groups, NDISDA SDA Housing and Disability advances best practices, policy alignment, and integrated responses that address the complex housing needs of Participants 

• Australia’s only national SDA contact centre  1300 NDISDA ) - 1300 634 732 -   connecting the public and professionals to our trusted Professional Member Network, and ensuring all enquiries are directed to ethical, solution-focused providers and services.

• SILSDA (Supported Independent Living SDA) – A specialized collaborative network designed to meet the operational, workforce, and compliance needs of SIL providers and participants, through events, education, and strategic discussion

• Impact Housing National Strategic Alliance:  A national platform uniting stakeholders across crisis accommodation, mental health housing, transitional housing, hospital discharge pathways, child protection housing, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). The Alliance brings together providers, regulators, advocates, researchers, and community leaders to collaborate on ethical, sustainable, and participant-focused housing solutions for vulnerable populations. Through national conferences, strategic roundtables, and cross-sector working groups, the Alliance advances best practices, policy alignment, and integrated responses that address the complex housing needs of individuals and communities at risk.

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All of our initiatives operate independently from commercial service delivery, allowing us to remain non-biased, trusted, and sector-facing-supporting all stakeholders without commercial conflict of interest.

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Our Track Record
Since 2020, SDA Conferences and Events has delivered over 23 major national forums, with events held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth.

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Our programming is designed to:

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• Share regulatory updates and market trends

• Facilitate networking and cross-sector engagement

• Promote best-practice tenancy matching and participant inclusion

• Address challenges such as underutilized stock, hospital discharge, and investment ethics

• Include lived experience and participant voices at the centre of the conversation

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We have hosted speakers and experts from the NDIS Commission, Curtin University, Griffith University, Fire and Rescue Victoria, SafeWork, Country Fire Authority (CFA), Minister of Disability (Tasmania ), Department of Communities, and other key agencies.

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Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond
Our 2025 calendar features key events that continue to shape the national conversation, including:

• Bridging Impact Housing Solutions – SDA & Community Conferences held across capital cities

• SILSDA Queensland Conference (27–28 August 2025) – a two-day event exploring SDA growth, tenancy strategies, robust housing models, and SIL operational challenges

• Specialist roundtables and workshops addressing participant safeguarding, provider collaboration, and housing innovation for vulnerable populations

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Why we exist
We are more than event organizers—we are connectors, convenors, and champions of ethical housing design and service delivery.

 

Our platform exists to:

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• Bring clarity to complexity

• Promote trust and transparency

• Advance shared responsibility for participant outcomes

• Support the growth and sustainability of the SDA and SIL sectors

• Every event is curated with a clear purpose: to empower professionals, enhance services, and elevate voices -with the participant at the centre of it all.

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Join us in continuing to build a more informed, collaborative, and inclusive SDA and Impact Housing future.