Transcript Slide 1
DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? Trevor Allan, Head, Student Equity, Welfare & Disability Services University of Western Sydney Contact: • Bldg I, Penrith (Kingswood) Campus, • The University of Western Sydney • Phone: (02) 4736 0784 • Fax: (02) 4736 0714 • Mobile: 0424 156 571 • Email: [email protected] DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? Legislation: • Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (1992) • DDA Standards for Education (2005) • NSW Anti-Discrimination Act • Privacy Act DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? What is a Disability? • According to the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) a Disability is: • “Total or Partial Loss of a person’s bodily or mental functions” • e.g. a person who has quadriplegia, acquired or organic brain injury or epilepsy or who has a visual or hearing impairment. OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “Total or partial loss of a part of the body” • e.g. a person with an amputation or a woman who has had a hysterectomy • OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “The presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness” • e.g. a person with AIDS, hepatitis or TB. • OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “The presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness” • e.g. a person who gets allergies or who carries typhoid bacteria • OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “The malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of a person’s body” • e.g. a person with diabetes or asthma or person with a birthmark or scar • OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “A disorder or malfunction which results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction” • e.g. a person with autism, dyslexia or an intellectual disability • OR DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “A disorder, illness or disease which affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgement or which results in disturbed behaviour” • e.g. a person with mental illness, neurosis or personality disorder DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • The definition includes a disability that: Presently exists OR Previously existed but no longer exists OR May exist in the future OR Is imputed to a person DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? The REAL issue is not WHETHER a person has a disability, But the DEGREE of disability AND The TYPE AND EXTENT OF ADJUSTMENTS needed to overcome the effects of the disability DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • “Disability” Covers a wide range of people, impacts & effects Everybody may have some form of disability at some stage of their lives The extent and type of effect of each disability will vary from person to person DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? • People with disabilities are as varied and individual as the rest of the community Disabilities do not have to limit people’s life options Disability should not be seen as a “them & us” situation DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? Many Disabilities will not have obvious effects People with disabilities deserve our respect, not our sympathy We have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to education, social, political and cultural activities DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? The DDA requires the University to avoid discriminating against a person with a disability in: • Enrolment • Participation • Curriculum Development, Accreditation & Delivery • Student Support Services • Prevention of Harassment & Victimisation DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? The person’s disability should only be taken into account where it is reasonable & fair to do so Such as: Making adjustments to courses, lectures, examinations, etc. to address the effects of the disability DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? The DDA does NOT require the University to: Relax standards Ignore essential requirements of a course Give a student with a disability an advantage Pass someone who has not deserved a pass DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about?