About the Service
INTRODUCTION
The information on these pages is designed for students with a disability/health condition commencing or continuing studies at Macquarie University. Prospective students considering Macquarie University will also find it useful in planning their studies. These pages explain how to access services and accommodations or adjustments through Macquarie University’s Equity Support Unit (ESU) and include information on students’ educational rights and responsibilities, disclosure, privacy and confidentiality, university facilities and other information which may be helpful in planning and undertaking studies at Macquarie University.
The ESU operates in accordance with Macquarie University’s policies and guidelines, legislation pertaining to tertiary education both at state and federal level, in particular, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (DDA1992), the Disability Education Standards (2005) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OH&S 2000). The information here provides an overview of the ESU, the role of Disability Advisors, registration with the ESU, and a description of possible services and support available to students with a disability or health condition.
ESU services and procedures outlined in these pages include:
- Information, Advice and Advocacy
- Examination Provisions
- Study Support Assistants
- Notetaking
- Auslan Interpreting
- Special Equipment Area (SEA)
- Loan of Equipment
- Alternative Course Formats
- Audio Tape Recording
- Library Assistance
Students with questions about any aspect of the information on these pages should contact the Equity Support Unit. Contact details are provided here.
WHAT IS A DISABILITY?
The legal definition of disability is broad and is contained within the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA1992).
A disability includes: temporary and permanent disabilities; physical, intellectual, sensory and psychiatric disabilities; diseases or illnesses; medical conditions; and past, present and future disabilities.
For more information about who is protected by the DDA, refer to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission web-site here and here.
For the purpose of the information on these pages, a disability includes any impairment or medical condition which may affect a student's ability to undertake a program of study successfully. Some, such as physical or sensory disabilities, may be obvious, whilst others may not be apparent unless disclosed by the student, for example, chronic fatigue syndrome, epilepsy, learning disability or a mental health condition. A disability may be permanent, short-term or episodic in natureDisclosure- Should I? To whom? What will it mean?
Disclosure is a dilemma most students with a disability/health condition face and one which presents a number of challenges and choices.
The decision to disclose or not to disclose your disability/health condition is a matter of personal choice. Students are not in any way obliged to disclose their disability/health condition. However, the University may not be able to meet a student's specific needs if University staff have not been informed of them. It is also important for students to think about what they want to achieve by disclosing and to whom they want to disclose their disability/health condition. Many students disclose because they require some form of academic adjustment.
Choosing Your Path: Disclosure: It’s a Personal Decision is a web-based resource focusing on issues related to disclosure. This resource provides information on the benefits and disadvantages of disclosing, as well as considering what effective disclosure means. Choosing Your Path also covers the rights, roles and responsibilities of all parties in deciding to disclose a disability in tertiary education and employment.
PRIVACY
Privacy and confidentiality can be an issue for students with a disability/health condition. The University is bound by the provisions within the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (1998). The Act sets the privacy standards which the University must implement when dealing with personal information. The ESU maintains confidentiality of information about student in line with the Act, and with University policy.
All assessments and interviews between students and a Disability Advisor take place in a private room. A record of all contact including face to face, phone, sms, fax or email, is kept in students’ files at the ESU. Files are securely stored in the ESU offices; only ESU staff members and management have access to these files.
From time to time, Disability Advisors may consult Support Services colleagues, for example, medical, counselling or welfare staff in order to identify the most appropriate course of action. In these instances, you will not be identified to other staff members.
Information about a student’s situation remains private and confidential. Information will not be released to third parties without consent, except in the following situations:
- It is subpoenaed by a court, or
- Failure to disclose information would place you or another person at risk
- The University is required to forward identifying information to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) to satisfy funding and administrative requirements.
Students may access the information kept in their ESU file by making a request, in writing, to the Manager, Welfare & Equity Services. By law, the ESU is not permitted to release information relating to students to a third party. Further queries or concerns regarding privacy of information may be directed to a Disability Advisor at the ESU.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
It is important that prospective students understand the inherent requirements of the programs of study in which they are interested. For example, students may have to participate in work placements, fieldwork and/or laboratory tasks in order to complete a program of study. Students should note that if they choose an internal course there might also be specific requirements in relation to attendance.
Program and Course information for undergraduate and postgraduate study is available here, with further information about postgraduate coursework also available here.
If students are uncertain regarding whether they are able to meet the essential criteria of their chosen study program, due to the nature of their disability/health condition, they are advised to contact the Faculty/Department where the study program is offered to discuss this in more detail.
If students wish to apply to study at Macquarie University, further information regarding admissions for undergraduate courses can be found here, for postgraduate admissions here and for non-award study here.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students with a disability/health condition who believe that they may require specialised support in order to undertake a program of study at Macquarie University are encouraged to contact a Disability Advisor at the ESU to discuss their study support needs. All other enquiries should be directed to Macquarie International. Further information may be found here.
Students seeking to register with the ESU in order to receive services must submit documentation about their disability/health condition. It is the responsibility of students from non-English speaking countries to arrange and meet the cost of providing supporting documentation, which has been translated into English.
Students are responsible for obtaining relevant documentation and are required to supply supporting documentation regarding the nature of their disability/health condition and any impact that it may have on their overall academic performance. Supporting documentation must be signed by a general practitioner, specialist medical practitioner, allied health professional, psychologist or psychiatrist. The documentation must be on letterhead (typed where possible), less than 12 months old, verify the existence of a disability/health condition, report on the impact of the disability/health condition on academic study or performance and make recommendations for support services as appropriate.
Students with a learning disability must provide a current learning assessment in English (no older than 3 years) containing the results of a learning assessment as completed by an education professional, e.g. Educational/Clinical Psychologist.
OVERVIEW OF THE EQUITY SUPPORT UNIT
The ESU provides support, assistance and advice to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in achieving their academic potential. The ESU further aims to systemically improve the situation for prospective or current students with a disability/health condition who wish to undertake study at Macquarie University.
A range of support and advice is provided by the ESU to students with ongoing, fluctuating and temporary conditions such as mental health conditions, chronic illness, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, neurological conditions and learning disabilities. Service provision is based on the assessed needs of an individual student and is subject to the availability of resources. All support services are regularly reviewed to ensure that reasonable academic adjustments are in place.
The Disability Advisor is the nominated contact person responsible for ensuring students with a disability/health condition are provided with appropriate support and services. Students with a disability/health condition seeking ESU services are encouraged to make an appointment with a Disability Advisor prior to the start of each semester/study period for a needs assessment interview. This allows sufficient lead-time to arrange any services that may be required.
On an annual basis, students wishing to access support services are required to submit an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form and supporting documentation from a medical practitioner, allied health professional, psychologist or psychiatrist, as appropriate. See here to download an Advice of Disability Form.WHO CAN ACCESS ESU SERVICES?
The ESU provides support to students enrolled at Macquarie University and its affiliated educational providers (for example, SIBT, MGSM, OUA). Prospective students are encouraged to contact the ESU to discuss available services prior to enrolling at Macquarie University. It is important to note that students are not eligible for ESU services if they are excluded or withdrawn from enrolment.
The ESU defines “disability” in accordance with the DDA and offers support to students with a disability/health condition affecting:
- hearing
- vision
- mobility and/or physical task completion associated with study e.g. writing
- learning
- mental health
- neurological functioning
- study resulting from chronic medical conditions
- study resulting from temporary disability