Many higher education providers offer support services to assist students with disabilities, often through disability liaison or disability support units. Staff of these units facilitate appropriate assistance for students with disabilities, including:
- physical access
- note-taking
- adaptive technology and other equipment
- alternative formatting
- special exam conditions
- parking.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability support/liaison unit at their provider for information about assistance that is available.
The Australian Government assists providers with meeting the needs of students with disabilities through the Disability Support Program (DSP), which provides funding to eligible higher education providers to undertake activities that assist in removing barriers to access for students with disabilities. The DSP consists of three components:
- Additional Support for Students with Disabilities (ASSD)
provides funding towards the cost of providing educational support services and/or equipment to students with disabilities with high cost needs. Further information about ASSD is available from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website
- The Regional Disability Liaison Officer (RDLO) initiative assists people with disabilities to move between school, VET and higher education and to suitable employment.
- The Disability Coordination Officer (DCO) program, which is administered by the Vocational Education and Training Group of DEEWR, operates under similar principles and guidelines as the RDLO initiative.
Together the RDLOs and DCOs form an integrated national network of around 30 officers working to improve the coordination of service delivery to students with disabilities across the tertiary education sectors.
People with disabilities who want to undertake post-school education should contact their nearest RDLO/DCO for assistance.
Further information visit the Regional Disability Liaison Officer (RDLO) website .
Contact details for RDLOs and DCOs are available from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website
The performance-based disability support funding component is aimed at encouraging higher education providers to implement strategies to attract and support students with disabilities. Further information about performance-based disability support funding is available from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website
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