in 2022 The Australian Law Students Association (ALSA), Australian Medical Association (AMA) and National Union of Students (NUS) – as peak bodies and representative organisations within Australia’s higher education sector – collaborated to release a joint position statement and research report into disability and higher education in Australia.
The organisations to seek urgent reform to not only the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (‘DDA’) and subordinate legislation such as the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) (‘DSE’), but also the higher education sector at large.
Recognising the systemic neglect experienced by disabled students and disabled staff (including disabled academics), the NUS calls for strong action by the higher education sector — including from universities and regulatory bodies such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (‘TEQSA’) and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (‘ASQA’) — to promote equal access to education and non-discrimination for people with disabilities.
If you are interested in getting involved in the campaign please don’t hesitate to reach out to disabilities@nus.asn.au
See the full report and recommendations below