Read the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-2024
Policy_
Progress and achievements
How we support people with disabilities
Our ambition is to become Australia’s leading tertiary education provider for all students and an employer of choice for people with disability. Here is a summary of our key achievements and milestones since 2003 to support students, staff and visitors with disability.
The University's campuses, teaching spaces and learning facilities have changed physically and socially in the last 168 years.
Accessibility is a primary concern when we build new infrastructure, update current buildings, implement new teaching and learning platforms, and adapt current ways of studying and working to be more inclusive of our diverse population.
Here’s a summary of how accessibility and disability support services have improved for our community – students, staff and visitors to our campuses.
Key milestones and significant projects
Our campuses have undergone multiple physical changes. In 2013 the University's Campus Infrastructure and Services finalised an Accessible Environment Plan priority list for 2013-17, commenced an audit of 170 buildings and campuses to review completed projects, and identified a future master plan for accessibility.
We’re reviewing the University’s design standards to bring them above compliance and provide dignified access for staff, students and visitors with disability.
Accessibility software
Our Assistive Technology Lab provides a range of specialist technology applications. These include:
- screen readers and screen magnifiers used by students with low vision
- speech recognition software used by students with physical disabilities and writing disorders
- text to speech software used by people with reading impairments
- organisational tools such as MindManager, used by students who have trouble with planning and sequencing ideas.
Specialist hardware includes desktop and handled magnifiers, high-speed scanners, Braille embosser, tactile image-maker, electric height-adjustable desks and a Multi-Function Device (MFD) printer.
Online accessibility guidelines
Our websites, applications and online resources are compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Digital content now uses templates and working practices to satisfy an AA rating for web content accessibility. We’re working to reduce the number of PDF files on the website and staff intranet to ensure accessibility.
Educational Innovation supports academics and tutors in the adoption of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) pedagogical principles. The Designing for Diversity program supports academics through workshops, consultations, online resources and participation in a community of practice. Through the Transition Plus Project, EI team members are working with the coordinators of 15 large first year units (with a combined total of 6400 students in semester 1 and 12000 by the end of year) to proactively design for diversity and embed UDL principles into their teaching practices and curriculum.
The team at Inclusion and Disability Services currently works with approximately 2600 students with disability and caring responsibilities to ensure they are provided with an equitable opportunity to achieve academic success at the University. Inclusion and Disability Services supports independence, responsibility and autonomy in the way that students can access this service, via an online service request system. This ensures their ability to manage their needs with independence and on a needs basis.
Inclusion and Disability Services also works closely with academic and administrative areas to ensure students with disability are provided with appropriate, reasonable and equitable support that maintains the academic integrity of the course. A student’s required support is communicated to academic staff via the 'academic plan' model, which has been used since 2016.
Integrating and foregrounding accessibility within teaching and learning spaces was an important element of implementing the previous Disability Action Plan 2013-18. Lectures in University-owned lecture theatres are now, by default, recorded and available online for students unable to attend. Lecture recordings afford students with hearing, learning, vision, physical impairments flexibility in how they engage with lecture content and ensure the content can be adapted to different accessibility needs.
Stepping Into internships for university students with disability
Established and managed by the Australian Disability Network, Stepping Into is a diversity talent program that introduces skilled and talented university students with a disability to professional workplaces across a wide range of industries. This program supports the cultivation of an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. Each year the University hosts ten interns through this program.
One of the available internal Equity Fellowships, the Laffan Fellowship was established for researchers who have experienced a disability for a significant period of time. Recipients are awarded up to $60,000 to cover teaching relief and research support.
The Disability Inclusion Action Plan Implementation Group oversees the implementation of the objectives of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-24.
The Disability at Work Network (DAWN) is for staff with lived experience of disability and those who want to help create a disability-inclusive university. The DAWN connects staff and provides a welcoming and supportive environment to share experiences.
The DAWN is also a great resource for consultation on the impact of change on staff with disability. DAWN members can provide very helpful feedback on current processes, systems and environments, identify barriers to inclusion for people with disability and give advice on any planned changes before they are implemented. They are an ideal group who want to help make positive improvements to the staff experience for everyone.
The DAWN was established in June 2014 and will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2024.
‘Disability Confidence for University Staff’, ‘Disability Confidence for Managers and Supervisors’ and ‘Supporting Students with a Disability’ are two-hour workshops that are made available to all staff. Specialist training is available to staff creating digital content and those in the HR function.
Encouraging all staff to participate in career development opportunities is essential for the University to achieve its goals and aspirations for disability inclusion and to contribute to becoming an employer of choice for people with disability. The Disability Career Development Program is provided in collaboration with the Disability Leadership Institute. Twenty staff receive individual coaching and attend group leadership workshops over a six month period.
The University launched Disability Awareness Week in 2014. It is now an annual event – known as Disability Inclusion Week – which brings our student and staff community together to learn more about the experiences of people who live with disability, and to celebrate diversity.
Snapshots of our achievements