Reasonable Adjustments

Reasonable adjustments (also referred to as 'accommodations') refer to one form of support provided by tertiary institutions to students with disability or a health condition to ensure equitable access to teaching and learning.

Importantly, adjustments are not a replacement for inclusive and accessible learning design. Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create more inclusive and accessible learning environments by default is also central to ensuring that students with disability can fully realise their right to inclusive education.

Legislative and policy basis for adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are described in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992¹ and the Commonwealth Disability Standards for Education 2005². Under this legislation, all education providers are obligated to negotiate and provide learning adjustments for students with disability. States and Territories may also have their own legislation such as the ACT Discrimination Act 1991. At the local level, tertiary institutions also align their commitment to reasonable adjustments with their own Disability Action Plans.

The requirement for educational institutions to support disability inclusion is also underpinned by Australia’s Disability Strategy (ADS) 2021-2031³: the ADS is a national framework which sets out a plan to continue to improve the lives of people with disability across the country. Under the Education and Learning outcome area of the ADS, the Australian Government has committed to ensuring that “People with disability achieve their full potential through education and learning”.

The ADS is informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disability (UNCRPD) which encodes the right of people with disability to inclusive education in Article 24:

1. “States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and life long learning directed to:
1. The full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity;
2. The development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, as well as their mental and physical abilities, to their fullest potential;
3. Enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in a free society.”⁴

Overall, equitable access to education and learning adjustments are fundamental rights of students with disability.

Implementing adjustments

Reasonable adjustments ensure that people with disability or a health condition have access to and participate in the academic, occupational, and social activities of a tertiary institution on an equal basis to their non-disabled peers.

To determine the adjustments that a student may benefit from in their learning, it is recommended that students work collaboratively with a Disability Practitioner (also referred to as Disability or Inclusion Advisors) at their institution. Through a collaborative process, the student and practitioner will work together to determine a suite of appropriate, necessary, and reasonable adjustments to support their learning experience. This negotiation should be undertaken using a strengths-based approach, starting by understanding the students strengths and goals and unpacking the areas where they may benefit from support.

When negotiating learning adjustments for students with disability or a health condition, a variety of factors may be considered. These can include:

• information from consultation with the student, including their lived experience of effective accommodations and adjustments from past learning or employment environments
• the student’s strengths and support requirements
• the type of assessment and course requirements, including how these interact with the student’s strengths and support requirements
• the nature and onset of the disability or condition, including how the student’s capacity may fluctuate over time and in different environments
• information from medical reports or documentation where required
• the effect of the proposed adjustment on anyone else affected, including staff and other students
• the cost and benefits of providing the adjustment

Areas which may be examined for the potential to make adjustments or have supports implemented may include, but are not limited to:

• Learning and teaching delivery methods
• Assessment and examination methods
• Technology and equipment access
• Physical environments
• Attendance and participation modes and requirements
• Support services referrals
• Research, supervision, and higher degree considerations

Disability Specific Adjustments provides details on adjustments which may be beneficial in supporting specific disability and impairment types.

Adjustments should be reviewed for effectiveness and completeness regularly to reflect the fluctuating nature of many disability experiences and changing demands over the course of a program of study.

In making reasonable adjustments tertiary institutions must also ensure that the academic integrity of courses and programs offered is maintained to the appropriate standards. Adjustments cannot reduce the requirements for students to demonstrate the skills, abilities, and knowledge required by any course or program of study. Practitioners may need to refer to Inherent Requirements relating to the program in which the adjustments are being implemented.