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Global Access Project – A centralised solution to support disability support
workersSharon Kerr
Global Access ProjectAn initiative of the Higher Education Consulting Group
What is Global Access Project?
- Higher Education Consulting Group- Partnerships with leading technology
providers with the end of finding solutions
Working with universities and TAFE’s nationally –
What are we finding?
Increasing numbers of students with mental health issues are presenting
to disability support units for assistance
Disability support workers are being swamped with a tsunami of demand
for their services
Students with access needs due to sensory, physical or learning
disabilities are needing to compete with students who have mental
health support needs for services .
Disability support workers are feeling pressured to meet the needs of increasing numbers of students
presenting for support, without the benefit of additional resources.
It would appear that this shift in demand for the time and resources
has had a negative outcome for students with sensory, physical and
learning
Between 2003 and 2012 –numbers of students with a disability attaining a Bachelors degree
increased from 12.7% to 14.8%
The unemployment rate for the same cohort rose from8.5% to 9.4%
Those with incomes in the top 2 quintiles fell from 24.5% to 21.4%*
* Table 44300DO001_2012 Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia Summary of findings, 2003- 2012.
Many universities still have in place the same processes and procedures for disability support that they had 10 years ago prior to large numbers
of students with mental health needs presenting for support.
Accessibility support that students receive varies from institution to
institution
What are the unintended outcomes of students with sensory, learning or
physical disabilities having to compete with the larger pool of
students coming forward for support?
Students who do not have full access to the learning materials and
learning experience are unable to compete with fellow students – resulting in lower achievement
levels.
Fellow students and friends are provided with the experience of
disability as being a problem.
Net impact is a negative effect on employment and other life
opportunities for students with an access disability.
So what is GAP doing … how is it supporting disability support
workers?
GAP – We are not allied health workers – we are accessibility and
education specialists
Three ways GAP is helping universities and TAFE’s:
1. Providing rolling conversion services for students with ongoing
disabilities to ensure access to their full learning
2. Providing training for teaching staff on universal design of
curriculum for all forms of delivery including online and augmented
reality
3. Working with disability support units to develop customised
solutions to address their particular needs
Discussion …
