Reasonable Adjustments and Academic Standards

It is unlawful to deliver or develop curriculum that will exclude a student with a disability from participation. To facilitate student participation, the University is required to provide reasonable adjustments.

"An adjustment is a measure or action taken to assist a student with a disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as other students. An adjustment is reasonable if it achieves this purpose while taking into account the student's learning needs and balancing the interests of all parties affected, including those of the student with the disability, the education provider, staff and other students."

(Disability Standards for Education Guidance Notes 2005)

The Disability Standards for Education 2005, which are designed to clarify the roles and responsibilities of both students with disabilities and educational providers, clearly state the following:

• In assessing whether an adjustment to the course is reasonable, the provider is entitled to maintain the academic requirements of the course or program, and other requirements or components that are inherent in or essential to its nature.
• In providing for students with disabilities, a provider may continue to ensure the integrity of its courses or programs and assessment requirements and processes, so that those on whom it confers an award can present themselves as having the appropriate knowledge, experience and expertise implicit in the holding of that particular award.

At times there can be tension between reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities and a perceived lowering or compromising of academic standards. When determining reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, the University is required to consider the inherent (or essential) requirements of its courses.

The University structures it courses such that there are aspects of a course that are inherent, and for which no adjustment is possible. In Medicine for instance, surgery is an essential part of the course, and it is not possible for an adjustment to be implemented that negates the requirement to undertake surgery independently and safely.

The University is also required to ensure that the integrity of its assessment practices are not compromised and there may be circumstances where a requested adjustment jeopardises assessment integrity and therefore cannot be implemented. Unsupervised exams for instance may not appropriate in some subjects and courses as the integrity of the examination cannot be guaranteed.

There are however, other aspects of course structures and University processes for which adjustments are routinely provided. Over a thousand students receive some form of reasonable adjustment each semester. Extension for assignments, alternative examination arrangements, flexibility in attendance requirements, copies of learning materials in an accessible format, special consideration and the Access Melbourne special entry scheme are all examples of the adjustments routinely provided to students with disabilities.

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The Disability Liaison Unit has a primary responsibility in the University for identifying reasonable adjustments and works closely with both students with disabilities and academic staff to ensure the needs of both parties are considered. Additional information regarding University staff requirements in determining reasonable adjustments can be found in the University Policy on Students with a Disability.

For further information contact the DLU or visit the following webpages.

• Australian Human Rights Commission
• Disability Standards for Education
• Australian Disability Clearing house on Education and Training (ADCET)
• Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)
• Academic Board
• Quality and Standards produced by CSHE
• Guidelines and Procedures to assist Universities to examine the Inherent Requirements of their courses (When Accommodating Students with Disabilities and/ or Medical Conditions (PDF : 296KB). Is a report produced by a consortium of WA Universities in 2000.

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