Student Disability Reasonable Adjustments Procedure
Intent
This Procedure supports the Student Disability Policy to provide guidance and direction to staff and affiliates of 番茄社区 (番茄社区) who support, educate and interact with students and prospective students with a disability who choose to participate in higher education at 番茄社区. This Procedure also supports existing 番茄社区 policy and procedure in admitting, teaching, assessing and supporting students or prospective students across the University.
Scope
This Procedure applies to staff and affiliates of 番茄社区 located physically or virtually at the Australian Tropical Campuses of the University.
Students seeking reasonable adjustments and disability support should refer to the Student Disability AccessAbility Support and Plans Procedure.
Definitions
Except where otherwise indicated in this procedure, the definitions used in this procedure are found in the Policy Glossary or the Student Disability Policy
Reasonable Adjustments – an adjustment is reasonable in relation to a student with a disability if it balances the interests of all parties affected.
Introduction
Higher education providers in Australia must provide reasonable adjustments to prospective students seeking to study at 番茄社区 and those admitted to a course offered by 番茄社区.
A prospective, commencing or continuing student’s right to a reasonable adjustment is legislatively enshrined in the and supported through regulatory frameworks including the the , the and the .
Procedure
1. Enquiries from prospective students
Staff and affiliates will support admission and enrolment enquiries from prospective students (or their carer) seeking admission to a course offered by 番茄社区 and who have a disability, injury or health condition.
Upon receiving an enquiry from a prospective student with a disability (referred to hereafter in this Procedure as “students”), staff will direct the student to review the course inherent requirements and to contact AccessAbility Services for information and advice on reasonable adjustments applicable to their preferred course.
2. Consideration of Access Plans
To assess and implement reasonable adjustments, staff will undertake the actions and exercise the delegations set out in Table 1.
Table 1: Staff actions in assessing an application for reasonable adjustments:
Action | Staff responsible | Usual time frame (unless another timeframe is agreed with the student |
Meet with the student for an assessment and review of impacts of disability/injury/health condition, followed by identification of potential reasonable adjustments to allow inclusive participation in education. | AccessAbility Advisor | Within 7 University working days (UWD) of the first student contact |
Develop an Access Plan (if required) with recommended reasonable adjustments to allow inclusive participation in education, and submit to all relevant parties including the Course Coordinator, Student, Subject Coordinator and Exam Adjustments. | AccessAbility Advisor | Within 3 UWD of meeting with the student or submission of final supporting documents |
Assess the request or recommendation and determine whether the adjustment is reasonable (see guidelines and procedure below) and appropriate to the course or program. | Course Coordinator (in consultation with Subject Coordinator and/or Placement Coordinator) - delegated decision-maker | Within 10 UWD of receiving the initial Access Plan
|
Respond to AccessAbility and/or the student if alternatives are recommended and/or the adjustments cannot be reasonably implemented. The response should be in writing and/or a request made for a meeting if required (AccessAbility and/or the student). The student can request a meeting with the relevant academic if required (see Student Procedure). | Course Coordinator or Placement Co-Ordinator (for placement adjustments) – delegated decision-maker | Within 10 UWD of receiving the initial Access Plan
|
If a student makes a reasonable adjustment request directly to a Subject Coordinator (outside of an AccessAbility Services Access Plan), the Subject Coordinator can, with the approval of the Course Coordinator, either make a determination or refer the student to AccessAbility Services. | Subject Coordinator | Within 5 UWD of a request from the student |
Determine that a reasonable adjustment will impose unjustifiable hardship on the University | College Dean, Dean, Graduate Research School, or Dean Centre for Education and Enhancement – delegated decision maker. | As soon as practicable |
3. Determining reasonable adjustments
The requires that, in assessing whether a particular adjustment for a student is reasonable, regard should be had to all the relevant circumstances and interests, including:
- The impact of the disability on the student’s ability to achieve learning outcomes, participation in courses or programs and independence;
- Views of the student with disability, or their advocate, about their preferred adjustment;
- Impact of the proposed adjustment on relevant affected parties, including the University, other students, and staff);
- Costs and benefits of making the adjustment; and
- If alternate adjustments can be identified and offered that are no less beneficial for the student.
In assessing whether an adjustment to the course or program in which the student is enrolled, or proposes to be enrolled, is reasonable, the Course Coordinator is entitled to maintain the academic requirements of the subject, course or program, and other requirements or components that are inherent in or essential to its nature.
4. Universal Design for Learning
When assessing requests for reasonable adjustment/s, staff should give consideration to Universal Design for Learning principles where possible, such that:
- Consideration of whether course content can be adjusted to support participation by all enrolled students (universal design) including students with a disability. For example, by using alternative modes or mediums of content delivery such as lecture recordings, transcriptions, enlarged learning materials or videos;
- Consideration of whether course content can be assessed in alternative ways while meeting learning outcomes. For example, allowing a student with hearing impairment to prepare a written assessment instead of providing an oral presentation;
- Consideration of whether learning outcomes can be met in accessible ways through inclusive curriculum design. For example, by designing laboratory activities in multi-modal formats to support students with low vision to participate fully with the necessary supports in place
5. Unjustifiable hardship
A determination that a reasonable adjustment is refused based on unjustifiable hardship is not an academic decision relating to the integrity of the learning outcomes. It is a financial decision that takes all relevant circumstances into account, including:
(a) the nature of the benefit or detriment likely to accrue or be suffered by any persons concerned; and
(b) the effect of the disability of a person concerned; and
(c) the financial circumstances and the estimated amount of expenditure required to be made by 番茄社区 when claiming unjustifiable hardship.
The College Dean, Dean, Graduate Research School, or Dean, Centre for Education and Enhancement, will review the proposed Access Plan seeking reasonable adjustments where the Course Coordinator has recommended those adjustments would cause unjustifiable hardship for 番茄社区 to implement, and make the final determination on the matter.
6. Right of review
In communicating any determination to a student under this Procedure, the decision-maker will provide written reasons for their decision along with a notification that any student remaining dissatisfied with the decision can make a complaint under the Student Complaints Policy.
Related policy instruments
Special Consideration Procedure
Schedules/Appendices
Nil
Administration
NOTE: Printed copies of this procedure are uncontrolled, and currency can only be assured at the time of printing.
Approval Details
Policy Domain | Academic Governance |
Policy Sub-domain | Student Experience |
Policy Custodian | Deputy Vice Chancellor, Education |
Approval Authority | Academic Board |
Date for next Major Review | 16/02/2028 |
Revision History
Version | Approval date | Implementation date | Details | Author |
23-2 | 23/02/2023 | 23/02/2023 | Table 1 amended to clarify distribution of Access Plan to relevant parties (second line). | Manager, Learning Development |
23-1 | 16/02/2023 | 17/02/2023 | Procedure established. | Manager, Learning Development |
Keywords | Access, Disabled, Disability, Health Condition, AccessAbility, Accessibility, reasonable adjustment, inherent requirements |
Contact person | Manager, Learning Development |