Submissions

2002 – Senate Inquiry into the Education of Students with Disabilities

8 Jul 02

Attachment: CAPA Submission

There is no doubt that Australian universities are currently in a state of crisis as reported in last year’s Senate Inquiry into Higher Education report Universities in Crisis. The shock-waves of the funding cuts imposed by successive Federal governments still reverberate through the sector, and there seems little light on the horizon. In this climate, it is students who don’t fit traditional stereotypes (young, fit, financially secure), who require extra human and financial resources, who suffer most.

Students with disabilities often find themselves outside of this mould, and for them, along with other equity groups (such as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, students from low SES backgrounds, women, and NESB students), the higher education sector can be a less than welcoming place. Large classes, a lack of resources, and spiralling staff-student ratios, impact particularly on these groups.

However, the situation is not completely bleak. Since the release of the Federal policy document A Fair Chance for All: Higher Education that’s within Everyone’s Reach in 1990, and the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1992, the sector has been making (in certain areas) a concerted effort to raise the participation rate of equity groups. In this document, we seek to set out examples of best practice, as well as drawing attention to areas where improvement is needed.