1. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about?

2. 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: t.allan@uws.edu.aut.allan@uws.edu.au

3. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about?

4. Legislation: Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (1992) DDA Standards for Education (2005) NSW Anti-Discrimination Act Privacy Act

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? The definition includes a disability that: XPresently exists OR XPreviously existed but no longer exists OR XMay exist in the future OR XIs imputed to a person

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? YThe 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

18. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? YThe person’s disability should only be taken into account where it is reasonable & fair to do so Such as: YMaking adjustments to courses, lectures, examinations, etc. to address the effects of the disability

19. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about? YThe DDA does NOT require the University to: YRelax standards YIgnore essential requirements of a course YGive a student with a disability an advantage YPass someone who has not deserved a pass

20. DDA, DSE, AT & SWD What’s it all about?