Creating Accessible Teaching and Support

Students with disability are an integral part of the university community. Their learning opportunities, and the services available to them, need to be assured and enhanced in the same way that it is for other students. 

Since the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was introduced in 1992, the number of students with disability participating in education and training has more than doubled. However, they are still under-represented, and are also less successful in gaining employment following graduation.

To address this issue Universities Australia (once known as AVCC) developed Disability Guidelines to assist universities to meet the needs of students with disabilities by providing good practice guidelines across the spectrum of the student experience: from recruitment and selection through to transition to employment. 

The guidelines are informed by the social model of disability and encompass three key areas: policy and administration, teaching and learning, and campus life and services.  Underpinning these guidelines are two key principles:

• that universities will uphold academic standards so that students graduate with the requisite skills and knowledge
• that universities offer students with disability the opportunity to realise their academic and social potential, and to participate fully in university life.

The Guidelines suggest that the provision of teaching and services for students with a disability should be:

• Inclusive – Core activities of the University are designed and implemented in order to accommodate the needs of all students including those with a disability.
• Comprehensive – Provision for students with a disability should cover all core university activities in recognition of the right to participate fully in the academic and social life of the University.
• Equitable – University responses to the needs of students with a disability should recognise the rights and responsibilities of all parties and ensure that solutions are equitable for all concerned.
• Explicit – Policies should clearly identify student and staff responsibilities in relation to provision of services and adjustments, the procedures whereby these will be implemented and the mechanisms for resolving disagreements.
• Systemic – Consideration of the needs of the diverse student population should be embedded within University-wide planning, administrative support and quality assurance processes.
• Respectful – Universities should ensure that all their interactions with students with a disability are characterised by respect for their rights to dignity, privacy, confidentiality and equity.
• Consultative – Students and staff should be engaged in planning and evaluation of teaching and support strategies.
• Resourced - Universities should provide adequate resources to enable the provision of learning environments and services that address the needs of students with a disability.

The Guidelines provide some detail around what could be reasonably expected of universities under the Disability Standards for Education.  They also provide benchmarks of good practice against which institutions can assess their own performance.

The guidelines are presented as advice on good practice, with the aim of assisting universities to meet the needs of students with a disability through strategies and arrangements which are appropriate to their individual circumstances.

The ALTC/Carrick funded CATS project (which developed this Web-based resource) has developed a self-review and planning tool that will assist universities to review their service provision and teaching/learning processes against these guidelines.