Supporting persons with disabilities to succeed in higher education

SUPPORTING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TO SUCCEED IN HIGHER EDUCATION

2020 NCSEHE Equity Fellow Tim Pitman Make tomorrow better.

CONNECTING EQUITY POLICY, RESEARCH & PRACTICE

NCSEHE

The NCSEHE provides national leadership in student equity, connecting research, policy and practice to improve higher education participation and success for marginalised and disadvantaged people.

“Targeted Fellowships address fundamental issues for student equity.”

NCSEHE Equity Fellows conduct high-impact studies to advance student equity research, policy and practice.

2019/20 EQUITY FELLOWS with Dr Cathy Stone, Prof. Sarah O’Shea and Prof. Sue Trinidad

2020 “My Fellowship NCSEHE looked at how universities can best EQUITY support people with disability, particularly FELLOW regional, rural and remote students.”

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TIM PITMAN

Tim Pitman is a Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University, having worked in the Australian higher education sector for over 20 years.

Access the final report online:

ncsehe.edu.au/publications/persons-disabilities-higher-education/

Over the last decade, the number of people with disability studying in higher education has more than doubled.

GROWTH IN ENROLMENTS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY

80,000

8

70,000

7

60,000

6

50,000

5

40,000

4

30,000

3

20,000

2

10,000

1

0

0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Numbers

Rate

17,000

AROUND

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY ARE FROM

REGIONAL OR REMOTE AUSTRALIA.

For every five regional students with disability, four enrol in regional universities and one enrols in a metropolitan institution.

Regional students with disabilities face specific issues.

The most common type of disability reported is some form of a mental health condition.

TYPES OF DISABILITY REPORTED BY SURVEY PARTICIPANTS RESPONSES FROM 2,518 STUDENTS Hard of Hearing/deaf/Deaf

3.2%

Physical disability

10.8%

Intellectual disability Specific Learning Disability

7.4%

Mental health condition

33.9%

Aquired brain injury (ABI) Low Vision/Blind Medical condition

18.2%

Neurological condition Other

11.0% 7.9%

ALMOST 15,000 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY STUDY ONLINE AND FACE PARTICULAR SOCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY FACE A RANGE OF CHALLENGES

Attitudes

Procedures

Technology

Support

Built Environment

Social

Communication

TOP 5 TIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY FROM OTHER STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY*

“SEEK SUPPORT”

“ENGAGE”

“PLAN IT, DON’T WING IT” “CHOOSE WISELY”

“LOOK AFTER YOURSELF” *Based on the 165 responses to the question “If you could go back in time and give yourself one bit of advice when you first enrolled, what would it be?”

On average, students with disability are most positive about the attitudes of the people they interact with, and the procedures designed to support their functional needs.

“

My disability resource centre contact has helped make university a more positive experience. She’s been extremely helpful and understanding of my situation.

“

However, there are other things that could be improved. These include the built environment, “A number of the lecture rooms and tutorial buildings have extremely large external noise which is extremely difficult for someone like myself.”

Communication, “All too often people don’t get back to me when they say they will.”

And being socially included.

“I feel completely isolated and lonely even when attending campus classes.”

“

Overall, whilst levels of satisfaction remain high, many students with disability have experienced a decline in support levels, resulting from the impact of the Coronavirus.

“

RATING OF SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY RESPONSES FROM 1,368 STUDENTS

35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%

Very poor

Poor

Average

Pre-COVID-19

Above average

Excellent

Post-COVID-19

What can be done to better support students with disabilities?

Greater adoption of principles for universal design for learning

The way that people learn can be unique.

Curriculum design needs to be allowing open to different ways of: students to representing express their and expressing understanding knowledge and of this information. knowledge and information.

Properly designed, UDL can reduce organisational, cognitive, social and physical barriers to learning.

Disability awareness training for university staff

“

Not everyone in the university needs to be an ‘expert’ on disability issues. But everyone needs to be aware of the concept of disability, and the barriers students face, to help guide them in their own roles.

“

NCSEHE DIRECTOR PROFESSOR SARAH O’SHEA

“During complex and changing times, the NCSEHE Equity Fellows have exceeded all expectations to produce impactful and quality research for the equity field.”

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