Disability & accessibility services

Reasonable adjustments are changes or supports put in place to help students with a disability participate in their studies on the same basis as other students. 

An adjustment is considered reasonable if it achieves this purpose while balancing the interests of all parties affected, including those of the student with disability, the education provider, staff and other students. 

If you have a disability or health condition, we will consider a variety of factors when recommending reasonable adjustments for your study. These may include:

• the nature and onset of your disability or health condition
• documentation from your health practitioner about the impacts of your disability or health condition
• your experiences accessing support for your disability or health condition during previous study
• the inherent course requirements of your enrolled course
• the course delivery modes and assessment formats of your enrolled course
• your usual work methods and ability to achieve learning outcomes
• the effect of the proposed adjustment on anyone else affected, including staff and other students
• the cost of making the adjustment.

The Australian Education Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) publishes useful information for staff and students about supporting students with disability and making reasonable adjustments.

To successfully complete a course, you must demonstrate through assessment that you have met the inherent course requirements and fulfilled the learning outcomes specific to your enrolled course.

If you can meet an inherent requirement with the application of a reasonable adjustment, you are considered to be able to meet the inherent requirement. Many students with disabilities or other circumstances that impact on their studies have successfully completed their enrolled courses with reasonable adjustments made to their learning conditions.

Reasonable adjustments can be made to any aspect of your educational experience, but they must: 

• not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement
• be consistent with any restrictions imposed by a relevant professional accreditation body
• be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements, and not compromise workplace health and safety, or any relevant codes, guidelines and policies
• not enable unethical or unprofessional behaviour
• address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in the course program, including undertaking learning activities in mixed gender environments, which reflect the Australian context
• ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period.

Note takers create clear notes that are tailored to your needs to provide clarity on the key points of the class, including key concepts, examples, and any visual aids used. 

Participation assistants help you to understand procedures or instructions, provide physical assistance where required, and help you to develop independence in a classroom setting. 

Lab assistants provide physical assistance in a lab setting, help you to understand procedures or instructions, and help you to meaningfully develop independence in a lab setting.

Auslan is Australian Sign Language – a language of the Australian Deaf Community. 

An Auslan interpreter is someone who interprets between English and Auslan. Auslan interpreters are available for classes, assessments, and consultations with student services for students who use Auslan as their primary language. 

Unfortunately, we cannot provide interpreters for international sign languages such as ASL or BSL. 

We can help you to source and access assistive technology, physical equipment, and accessible format materials to make your learning experience more accessible. 

Examples of assistive technology include (but are not limited to): 

• audio-notetaking software
• dictation software
• screen-reader software
• screen-magnifier software

Programs most used by our students are Read and Write Gold, Genio, Dragon, Fusion and Job Access With Speech. 

Examples of assistive physical equipment include:

• height adjustable desks
• ergonomic seating
• wheelchair/low-mobility accessible classrooms

Examples of accessible format class materials include:

• live captioning for online classes
• alternative-format texts (large print, Braille)
• printed materials.

To register with Disability and Accessibility Services and obtain a Learning Access Plan (LAP) you must:

• be currently enrolled as a student at VU
• have a disability or health condition that impacts your studies, or provide personal support as a carer for someone with a disability or health condition
• provide relevant health documentation from a qualified professional
• complete the Consent to Release Personal Information form.

Documentation requirements

Your health documentation should:

• specify the duration of the condition as permanent, fluctuating, or temporary
• state the nature of the specific disability or condition
• describe how the disability or condition impacts on learning and participation in education, and the strategies recommended for minimising this impact.

We can accept any health documentation which addresses the above, including:

• a written report from a health professional (like a doctor, psychologist, audiologist, or speech therapist)
• a diagnostic report (like an Educational Psychologist Assessment)
• an ADHD/Autism diagnostic assessment report.

Health Practitioner Report

You can also ask your health practitioner to complete a digital or hard copy of our Health Practitioner Report. 

Your health practitioner must include their title, credentials, and dated signature. If your health practitioner completes the report by hand, their handwriting must be legible.

Your health practitioner report is valid for:

• two weeks for temporary conditions
• six months for fluctuating conditions
• duration of your enrolment for permanent conditions.

To obtain a Learning Access Plan (LAP), you will need to submit your health documentation and meet with an Accessibility Liaison Officer (ALO) to discuss how your disability or health condition impacts your learning, and the type of reasonable adjustments that you will need during your studies.

Before your appointment

Using your VU student email account, please send an email to [email protected] and attach:

• your health documentation
• a completed Consent to Release Personal Information form. 

Your health documentation will be kept private and safe. Only Disability and Accessibility Services staff can view your health documentation.

Once you have submitted your health documentation via email, Disability and Accessibility Services will contact you to schedule a telephone or in-person appointment with an Accessibility Liaison Officer (ALO).

During your appointment

Your ALO will work with you to create a Learning Access Plan (LAP). The Learning Access Plan (LAP) document will summarise the impact of your disability or health condition upon your learning, but it does not need to specify any details of your diagnosis. The level of detail about your diagnosis on your Learning Access Plan (LAP) is for you to decide. 

The Learning Access Plan (LAP) will include:

• details of academic support workers and/or assistive equipment and technology required
• recommended reasonable adjustments to:
  • assessable tasks (eg. quizzes, assignments, presentations, exams)
  • Work Integrated Learning (placements)
  • teaching practices

After your appointment, your ALO will send a copy of your Learning Access Plan (LAP) to you. You can also download a copy of your Learning Access Plan at any time from the ASKVU ‘My Plans’ page.

It is your responsibility to provide your Learning Access Plan (LAP) to your teacher/s at the beginning of each semester block. We strongly recommend that you make time with relevant teaching staff as soon as possible to discuss your Learning Access Plan (LAP) and needs. 

Learning Access Plans (LAPs) contain information that can be adapted as necessary at unit level and provide general guidelines to assist academics and educators to develop suitable reasonable adjustments for the study program. Adjustments may need to be adapted for, or may not apply, to some units. Academic standards and inherent requirements of the course need to be met.

Your Learning Access Plan (LAP) will specify a review date for temporary and fluctuating conditions. For permanent conditions, your Learning Access Plan is valid for the duration of your course enrolment. 

If your Learning Access Plan (LAP) needs to be reviewed or the recommended adjustments no longer reflect your needs, please call +61 3 9919 5400 to book an appointment with your Accessibility Liaison Officer (ALO).