FASS Disability Initiative
Seminar One:
Working with students with
disabilities
Dr Leanne Dowse
l.dowse@unsw.edu.au
Seminar Overview
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Welcome
Legislative Context
Understanding disability: social and political context
Working with students with …
Responding to students
Support at UNSW
Next lunchtime seminar
Legislative Context
 The University has a range of obligations under a range
of Commonwealth and State Legislation, including:
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Act 1986.
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
• Age Discrimination Act 2004.
• NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977.
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, Article 24 – Education.
Legislative Context, cont.
Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (2006) AVCC
Guidelines relating to Students with a Disability
 Provides advice on good practice - assists universities to meet the
needs of students with a disability through strategies and
arrangements that are appropriate to their individual circumstances.
 ‘Guidelines: Learning and Teaching’ (pp. 6-7) highlights:
• Curricula should be inclusive and student centered, taking account of
the diversity of student needs.
• The delivery and assessment of courses should be inclusive and
enable students with a disability to demonstrate equitably the
achievement of learning outcomes.
• Learning environments should provide opportunities for equitable
participation by students with a disability.
Understanding disability: social and political context
The social model of disability
For many years, the medical model has been the
dominant approach to disability. This model locates the
"problem" of disability in the deviant body of the
individual, rather than in society itself or in the way the
deviant body is perceived.
The social model challenges this. It suggests that
although people have impairments, the extent and
nature of the disability they experience will be the result
of the degree to which society supports their social,
economic and cultural participation.
Understanding disability: social and political context
Impairment versus disability
Impairment: an injury, illness or congenital condition
that causes or is likely to cause a loss or difference of
physiological or psychological function.
Disability: the loss or limitations of opportunities to take
part in society on an equal level with others due to social
or environmental barriers.
Understanding disability: social and political context
Why students with similar impairments have
different needs
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Students with the same impairment may have very different needs,
depending on the following factors:
The type or extent of their impairment. “Vision impairment", for
example, describes a broad range of conditions with very different
implications for the student.
The student’s previous educational experience. Some may have
already developed effective study skills, while others may have only
recently developed an understanding of their disability.
The nature of the study. A student with vision impairment in a
science lab may have very different needs in a law lecture.
The teaching format. A student's needs will vary according to whether
they are undertaking practicum work, e-learning or lab work, for
example.
The level of study. Postgraduate study will require different skills than
an undergraduate course.
Understanding disability: social and political context
How much do I need to know about a student’s
impairment?
Impairments result from injury, illness or genetic
disorders. While it's important to have some
understanding of this, your concern is not with the
specifics of the impairment, but with its implications for
learning, and with making reasonable adjustments to
teaching and support practices.
Wheelchairs and guide dogs are obvious indicators, but
disabilities are often "hidden" or inconspicuous. Rather
than make assumptions about the impact of a student's
condition on their learning, ask them what assistance or
accommodations they need.
Working with students with …
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vision impairment
hearing impairment
mental illness
learning disability
physical impairment
Aspergers syndrome
http://www.adcet.edu.au/cats/DisabilityInfo.aspx
Students with a vision impairment
Overview:
• There is no ‘typical’ student with a
vision impairment.
• May be the result of a range of
conditions.
• The impact depends on type, extent
and timing of vision impairment.
• Students may rely on a guide dog or a
white cane to assist mobility, while
others have sufficient residual vision to
get around independently.
• Students may require accommodation
and assistive devices to facilitate
access to education.
• Accommodation can range from sitting
at the front of the lecture hall to using
assistive technology (such as screenmagnification or screen-reading
software) to enable them to read and
access the internet.
Tips:
o Prepare as much information as
possible in electronic format - this
allows users to adapt the information
to a format which is suitable for them.
o When approaching students make
sure to identify yourself as they might
not be able to see you.
o Face the class when speaking.
o Read aloud information on overheads
and whiteboards.
o Pause on important points.
o Model appropriate communication for
students in tutorials – use plain
English and speak in a normal voice,
not loudly, slowly or with exaggeration.
o Inform the student if you plan to use
videos, slides or overheads, and
discuss alternative ways of presenting
the necessary information.
o Approach students regularly to find out
how they are going and if they are
having any problems.
Students with a hearing impairment
Overview:
• There is no ‘typical’ student with a
hearing impairment.
• May be the result of a range of
conditions.
• The impact depends on type, extent
and timing of hearing loss.
• Students who were deaf from birth or
as the result of illness in childhood may
lip-read and/or use sign language
(Auslan).
• People with profound hearing loss
usually prefer to be referred to as Deaf
rather than hearing impaired. They see
their deafness, language (Auslan) and
culture as a positive part of their
identity rather than as a disability.
Tips:
o Make eye contact with the student
before beginning a lecture/tutorial.
o Allow a clear view of the speaker’s
face at all times when speaking.
o Use short simple sentences.
o Normal delivery in a clear and natural
tone, slow down a little if you normally
speak fast.
o Write new terms or concepts on the
board.
o If amplification is required, make sure
that the lecture/tutorial room can
accommodate this.
o Reduce background noise as much as
possible. If necessary, engage the
cooperation of the other students.
Students with a mental illness
Overview:
• A hidden disability.
• Broad term that describes a range of
diagnosable conditions that impair a
person’s ability to think, feel and
behave.
• E.g.: schizophrenia
depression
bipolar disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder
eating disorders
anxiety
• May be transitory or long standing,
with symptoms ranging from mild and
episodic to severe and ongoing;
students may require academic
accommodations at some times but
not at others.
Tips:
o Speak to the student confidentially, in
private and not in front of the class.
o Be clear about what you can and can’t
offer.
o Be accessible to the student prior to
assessment deadlines and exams when
they are more likely in need of support.
o Help the student find other resources of
support – raise your awareness of
resources available on campus and
locally.
o Ask the student what support they need.
Students with a learning difficulty
Overview:
• A learning difficulty is the result of a
neurological disorder which causes the
learner to receive and process some
information inaccurately.
• The most common learning disability
found in the tertiary environment is
dyslexia. Other learning disabilities are
dysgraphia and aphasia.
• Learning difficulties can have a
significant impact on learning.
Tips:
o Use Plain English, short sentences,
clear speech.
o Revise work covered previously.
o Provide a summary to put lectures into
context.
o Be prepared to repeat and rephrase
information if necessary.
o Ensure you keep the student’s attention
and make sure that the environment is
as distraction-free as possible.
o Ask the student - they may be the best
person to know what is helpful.
Students with a learning difficulty
Dyslexia
Overview:
• A combination of abilities and
difficulties which affect the learning
process in one or more of reading,
spelling and writing.
• Accompanying weaknesses may be
identified in areas including speed of
processing, short-term memory,
sequencing, auditory and/or visual
perception, spoken language and
motor skills.
A student may show one or all of these
indicators:
• A marked discrepancy between a
student's oral and written ability. They
may perform well in seminar groups,
but find it difficult to articulate ideas in
written format.
• Proof-reading errors, i.e. missed words,
inaccurate spellings.
• Difficulties with grammar and
punctuation.
• Long and/or poorly constructed
sentences.
• Repetition of ideas.
• Difficulties with the structure of the
piece. The order in which points are
made may not seem logical or
sequential.
• Paragraphs may seem overly long and
not link to the previous or following
paragraph.
Students with a physical impairment
Overview:
• Physical activity and mobility may be
impaired by a number of permanent or
intermittent conditions such as
cerebral palsy, arthritis, muscular
dystrophy, multiple sclerosis (MS),
Parkinson’s disease and repetitive
strain injury (RSI).
• Physical disability may also result from
vehicle or sporting accidents.
• Some students may suffer chronic
fatigue, and others, extreme day-today energy fluctuations.
Tips:
o Students may seek permission to tape
lectures.
o Copies of lecture notes and overheads
may be helpful.
o If lecture/tutorial rooms are being
changed, advise the student and the
Disability Officer.
o Maintain communication with student
and invite feedback.
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
Overview:
 An autistic spectrum disorder caused
by a neurological dysfunction.
 Students may have above-average
intelligence, extensive factual
information, advanced vocabulary in a
particular topic, exceptional memories
for detail, be original and creative in
their thought patterns, have good
attention to detail and can be very
independent in their studying.
 They may also exhibit the following
characteristics in the learning
environment:
• weakness in comprehension and
abstract thought, problem solving,
organisational skills, concept
development, and making inferences
and judgements.
• difficulty with cognitive flexibility,
tending to think in a more linear way –
thinking tends to be rigid, they have
difficulty adapting to change or failure
and do not readily learn from their
mistakes.
• difficulty coping with change and
obsessive routines.
Tips:
o If possible, get to know the student’s
particular needs in advance - meet
them before the course starts to discuss
needs.
o Provide clear, detailed information (oral
and written) about structure of course,
practical arrangements, assessment
requirements and deadlines.
o Be consistent in approach and keep
variations to a minimum - if a change
(e.g. in timetable, room, lecturer) is
inevitable, give clear, specific
information as far ahead as possible
e.g. around exam time.
o Use clear, unambiguous language
(spoken and written) and avoid or
explain metaphors, irony etc and
interpret what others say. Give explicit
instructions and check that the student
is clear about what he/she has to do.
Responding to students
Knowing when to intervene
 If you are concerned that the student is experiencing a
significant degree of disability which impacts on their
ability to learn and/or complete their assessments.
 If a student appears depressed, expresses feelings of
hopelessness or their behaviour significantly changes.
 If a student’s behaviour is unacceptable.
Responding to students
Knowing how to intervene
 Speak to the student confidentially, with respect and in
private – not in front of the class.
 Ask the student what support they need.
 Be accessible to the student prior to assessment
deadlines and exams when they are more likely to ask for
support.
 Leave diagnosis and treatment to the appropriate
professionals.
 Ensure the student is aware of appropriate support
available on campus.
Responding to students
Knowing how to intervene, cont.
Recognise your own limitations. If you are unable to
assist a student seek advice from the University’s
Student Equity and Diversity Unit.
Your concern is not with the specifics of the impairment,
but with its implications for learning, and with making
reasonable adjustments to teaching and support
practices.
Responding to students
You Refer when:
 Accurate assessment of the student’s study needs is
required.
 Communication breaks down.
 The student’s problems goes beyond your own experience
and expertise.
 You are uncomfortable helping a student with an issue.
 You find yourself becoming overly involved with the
student.
 You are worried about the person’s safety.
 You are not sure.
Special Consideration versus Reasonable
Accommodation?
Special Consideration:
• Available to students who have
been impacted by short-term
events that are beyond their
control and affect their
performance in specific
assessment task/s.
Reasonable Accommodation:
• Available to students with a
disability or ongoing medical
condition who require continual
support.
• Students are advised to
register with the Equity &
Diversity Unit (EADU).
Registration is advisable but
not obligatory.
• EADU can arrange
accommodations such as: note
taking; liaison with academic
staff; exam provisions; library
assistance; assistive
technology; and resource
material.
Support at UNSW
Student Equity and Diversity Unit
Student Equity Officer (Disability) can assist staff and students to
identify and implement strategies and adjustments that can
assist students to meet their goals.
Tel: 9385 4734
Email: studentequity-diversity@unsw.edu.au
http://www.studentequity.unsw.edu.au
UNSW Counseling Service
Provide Counselling, orientation to Uni, motivational support,
personal skills development, advisory services for
staff,seminars and workshops and self help resources.
Tel: 9385 5418
Email: counselling@unsw.edu.au
http://www.counselling.unsw.edu.au
Next lunchtime seminar:
Curriculum and course design
Thursday 23 July
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Rm 211
Lunch included