by Australian Disability Clearinghouse for Education and Training

Perhaps you have heard lately that 9 out of 10 new jobs created will require a post-secondary education. This makes it even more important that all Australians can participate in education and training beyond Year 12. However, one group of students who are outpacing the growth of any other equity group but remain underfunded, undervalued and overlooked are students with disability.

While enrolments for this cohort have increased over the last 10 years, completion rates for people with disability are 20 per cent lower in VET and 6 per cent lower in Higher Education (HE) than their peers with no disability. In both the VET and HE sectors, employment outcomes are much worse for people with disability.

Reform may be coming and the business case for disability inclusion is clear. But let’s not wait. Here are three key things that tertiary education providers can do now to assist students with disability.

better understand our legal obligations The 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education found students still struggle to assert their rights. Staff awareness of “reasonable adjustments” – to assist a student with disability to participate in education on the same basis as students without disability – can be patchy. Tim Pitman’s NCSEHE Equity Fellowship and the 2020 Review recommend mandatory training. The Australian Disability Clearinghouse for Education and Training (ADCET) provides free Disability Awareness training and resources to facilitate compliance with legislative obligations.

adopt universal design principles that benefit everyone Implementing universal design principles across learning and teaching, digital and physical environments addresses barriers to participation and reduces the need for ad hoc adjustments. Again, ADCET provides practical resources through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) e-learning, guidelines for ICT procurement, assistive technology support and inclusive teaching resources.

support graduates with disability It’s not enough to get students through the door. Graduates with disability have an equal right to employment. However, students report barriers such as: low expectations and negative perceptions of ability (from their education provider, work integrated learning (WIL) partners and future employers); discrimination; and ,lack of tailored disability-focussed expertise within their career services. David Eckstein’s 2022 NCSEHE research on good practice around disability-inclusive models demonstrates how it can be done. Several of Eckstein’s recommendations are already in train, with further graduate employment resources coming to ADCET in early 2023.

 

Australian Disability Clearinghouse for Education and Training (ADCET) [email protected] @adcet_edu_au