NDCO Tasmania

Your disability and study

Sometimes it can be difficult to work out in advance what your disability related support needs may be, especially if you are not fully aware of the course requirements nor familiar with the course delivery processes and physical layout of campuses and training venues.  These pages have been develped as a starting point.  There are no ‘right' or ‘wrong' answers to many of these questions; they will merely give you additional information to use in making your final decision.  If you have mobility impairment or are vision impaired, it is vital that you check out the campus and contact the  National Disability Coordination Officer in your area or the relevant disability staff from where you are planning to undertake further education or training as soon as possible before you make a final decision.  The best way to find out whether the campus is accessible to you is to try it out. You may also like to attend Open Days or Tertiary Taste Programs.  You are welcome to take along a friend or relative.

Consider the following:  will your disability impact on your ability to study with regard to:

• accessing campus?  
• accessing print material?
• communicating?
• field trips?  
• laboratory work?  
• practicums?  
• using the library?  
• sitting exams?  
• taking notes or writing essays?  
• workload?  
• using machinery or working with chemicals?  

Also think about the specific questions which relate to your disability.  Depending on the type of disability you have these questions could include:

All Students

1. Who is the Disability Officer at the Polytechnic or university?
2. How do I get to the campus from home?
3. Are there other students with similar disabilities I can talk to?
4. Can I access the library and computer facilities?
5. Do I need to live on campus or move away from home?
6. What help can I get with exams and assessments?
7. Are there any academic/teaching/administrative staff whom it might be useful for me to introduce myself to?
8. Can I get assistance during enrolment and orientation?
9. Have I developed some stress management techniques?
10. Do I need to explore study skills or other learning techniques?
11. Is my timetable flexible enough to let me get from one lecture to another on time, or from work to lectures/class?
12. Do I need some self-assertiveness and/or self-advocacy training?
13. What equipment am I likely to need?
14. Who is to provide this equipment?
15. What equipment and/or services do the TAFE/university/college, or other training organisation provide?
16. Do I have adequate computer skills to access my chosen course or assistive technology?
17. Can I get recognition for current competencies or credit for previous qualifications?

Students with Mobility Impairment

1. How do I access a parking permit?
2. Are there wheelchair accessible toilets throughout the campus? 
3. How user-friendly is the campus for someone with my disability? 
4. Can lectures/classes be relocated if necessary to ensure better access?
5. What equipment am I likely to need?
6. What type of assistive technology is available?
7. What are the lift facilities like? 
8. Will I have an easily accessible locker? 
9. Is there a campus map showing accessible entry and exit points?

Students with Vision Impairment

1. What’s the mobility like on campus?
2. Are large print, Braille or online campus maps available? 
3. How will I arrange to have textbooks and course notes or other print materials provided to me in a format which suits my needs, for example, on computer disc, in Braille, large print, online or on cassette? 
4. What equipment am I likely to need?
5. Are Braille, print enlargement and scanning facilities available on campus? 
6. What computer facilities/software are available, for example, personal reading machines and image enlargement software? 
7. What exam/assessment considerations are available?

Students with Hearing Impairment/Deaf Students

1. How do I make arrangements for note-takers in my classes?
2. Are hearing loops, or FM radio communication systems available in classrooms/lecture theatres? 
3. Does the university/TAFE/training organisation provide sign language interpreters? 
4. What exam/assessment considerations are available?
5. Are videos captioned?
6. Do I have access to personal readers?

Students with a Learning Disability

1. Am I aware of my learning style?  e.g. Do I pick up information best by listening or by seeing?
2. Are note-takers provided if I need one?
3. Are printed learning materials/lecture materials available in other accessible formats?
4. What exam/assessment considerations are available? 
5. What other alternative assessment formats may be available? 
6. What computer software is available? 
7. What learning support will be available on campus? 

Students who have Psychiatric Disabilities

1. Who can I talk to when I just need to talk?
2. What do I do when I need a break?
3. Are there rooms available for some privacy?
4. Is there someone on campus/workplace who can help with medication emergencies?

Students who have a Speech Impairment

1. How do I access facilitated communication?
2. Do I need power points?
3. Who can help me with study out of class time?

Students who have a Chronic Medical Condition

1. What do I need to supply to notify authorities/administration/services about my disability? e.g. medical certificates, doctor’s letters, etc?
2. What exam arrangements can be made if I am unable to sit for an exam?
3. How do I make arrangements for classes/work I am unable to attend?
4. What happens when I need to take a rest break?

For more information on specific disability and strategies for successful tertiary study  check out the Towards Success in Tertiary Study series available at

http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/edp/policy/publications.html