ADCET Podcast: Barriers Before Entry - Improving Pre-Admission Guidance for University Applicants with Disability

This ADCET podcast is the audio version of our webinar: Barriers Before Entry - Improving Pre-Admission Guidance for University Applicants with Disability.

What messages do our admissions pages send about who belongs in higher education? Despite widespread calls for greater inclusion of people with disability in the healthcare workforce, significant barriers remain. These barriers exist even before admission to training, when applicants are considering study options and future careers.

Through a systematic review of medical school websites in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, this study highlighted gaps between inclusive policy and everyday practice. Despite sector wide guidelines, disability is often framed as a problem to manage rather than a valued dimension of diversity. Ambiguous information about disclosure and accommodations may dissuade capable applicants before they apply.

ADCET was delighted to welcome Laura Gray and Bryony McNeill, from Deakin University, as they shared the details of their study as well as identified practical opportunities for educators to create clearer, safer, and more inclusive pre-admission communication.

(February 2026)