Reasonable Adjustments: Physical Disability

As per the Disability Standards for Education 2005 reasonable adjustments refer to a "measure or action taken to assist a student with disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as other students”. They are designed to place students with disability on a more equal footing, and not to give them any kind of advantage.

Reasonable adjustments made for a student with disability must maintain the academic integrity of the qualification and not cause a health or safety risk for other student(s) or negatively impact upon the learning experience of another student(s).

Adjustments are negotiated to meet the needs of the individual student; this is predominantly done through a Disability Practitioner within the institution the student attends. They commonly include the following.

To accommodate individual students:

Students with physical disabilities may benefit from a range of inclusive teaching and assessment strategies. Some adjustments that are frequently used for students with physical disabilities include:

• access to venues
• summaries of lecture information given at the end of lectures to accommodate students who may be late due to difficulties moving between teaching venues on large campuses
• access reviews conducted of all off-campus sites to ensure they meet the access needs of students with a mobility disability
• supplementary tasks as an alternative to difficult field trips
• space provided in teaching rooms to accommodate student’s own furniture or adaptive equipment
• option to stand in classes or take short breaks to accommodate musculoskeletal issues
• recording of lectures and tutorial sessions
• provision of a note-taker
• provision of modified equipment, including computers
• support with locating and use of library resources, including photocopiers and other equipment
• additional one-to-one sessions with tutors for students who are not able to participate in some class activities
• oral examination or access to text-to-speech software where writing or typing of answers is impacted by the physical disability
• provision of a separate room if speech recognition software is to be used
• additional time in exams where a physical disability affects writings speed
• rest breaks in exams
• take home exams
• extensions to assignments where extensive research involving physical activity such as frequent trips to the library or collection of data from dispersed locations is required.