Disability & accessibility services
If you're a VU student with a disability or medical condition that impacts your studies, Accessibility Services can support you.
By working with one of our Accessibility Liaison Officers (ALOs), you can access support services and resources, and adjustments for study and assessment.
Accessibility services we can provide
Access Plans
An Access Plan is a document that is produced by an Accessibility Liaison Officer with you as a registered student. It summarises the following:
- recommendations for teaching adjustments
- assessment and examination adjustments
- placement support (if required)
- the impacts of your health condition or disability on your learning
- your responsibilities
- referrals for learning support and other factors for independent learning.
Find information about registering under ‘Eligibility for accessibility support’ following.
Eligibility for accessibility support
To be eligible for accessibility support, you must:
- be currently enrolled as a student at VU
- have a disability or health condition that impacts your studies
- provide a Health Practitioner Report from a qualified professional.
Your health practitioner report should include:
- the nature of the specific impairment or condition
- the duration of the disability as permanent, ongoing or temporary
- details of the impact the condition is likely to have on your learning
- recommended support services and/or reasonable adjustments to minimise impact on your study
- medical professional's title, credentials and stamp
- legible hand-writing, dated and signed by your practitioner.
Your health practitioner report is valid for:
- one month for temporary conditions
- twelve months for ongoing conditions
- the duration of your enrolment for permanent conditions.
Registration process
- Download and print the Health Practitioner Report (PDF, 188.93 KB).
- Arrange for your Health Practitioner to complete the report, or use your diagnostic report (eg Educational Psychologist Assessment)
- Fill in the online form to contact accessibility support, and we'll contact you to make an appointment
- Meet with an Accessibility Liaison Officer. They will assess the support services best suited to you. Please bring the following documents:
- Health Practitioner Report
- Consent to Release Personal Information form. (PDF, 251.43 KB)
- Negotiate a learning Access Plan with your Accessibility Liaison Officer.
- Keep in touch with us and give us feedback.
Support for school students transitioning into TAFE
We are committed in providing personalised support to students with a disability transitioning from secondary school (including specialist schools and alternative education settings) to a TAFE environment.
Available support
Our Disability Transition Support Officer can support by:
- providing guidance to students, schools, and care teams
- facilitating support for students who are transitioning to TAFE
- assisting with enrolment processes
- collaborating with stakeholders to improve transition processes
- implementing reasonable adjustments in class.
Guiding students through enrolment
Working within a ‘Team Around the Learner’ framework and alongside our accessibility services team, our Disability Transition Officer will guide and monitor students throughout their first 90 days of enrolment.
If you have questions, please get in touch using the contact details below.
Accessibility Action Plan
Victoria University aims to be a leader in inclusivity for people with a disability. We’ve committed to this goal by establishing a Student Accessibility Action Plan (AAP) 2021–2023 which spells out our equity and diversity values for students with a disability.
The AAP 2021–2023 is the fifth of its kind. The first was lodged in 2001 with the now-named Australian Human Rights Commission. The AAP is designed remove the barriers to access and participation for students with a health condition or disability and develop new strategies to provide a supportive and inclusive educational experience for them.
Review of Victoria University Accessibility Action Plan
Victoria University is reviewing its 2021-2023 Accessibility Action Plan. This review, and development of our new plan, is in line with the legislative requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education (DSE) 2005.
Our new Accessibility Action Plan will continue to guide our university in the planning, advocacy, support, services, and engagement of students with disability over the coming four years.
Specific actions, addressing a number of key priority areas will be identified to reflect the true needs of students with disability.
