Version Endorsed by Authorised by Approved Effective Date. 1.0 Academic Board Chief Executive Officer 11 February st Trimester 2016

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1 PL_AC_010: Disability Plicy Plicy Categry Academic Dcument Owner Chief Custmer Officer Respnsible Officer Head f Academic Services Review Date December 2016 Related Dcuments Admissins Plicy Versin Endrsed by Authrised by Apprved Effective Date 1.0 Academic Bard Chief Executive Officer 11 February st Trimester Cntext THINK supprts the right f peple with disabilities t be invlved in all facets f cmmunity life, including full and equitable participatin in vcatinal and higher educatin. T that end, THINK prvides an accessible and inclusive envirnment fr students with disabilities. THINK is cmmitted t meeting its bligatins utlined by the Cmmnwealth Disability Discriminatin Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Standards fr Educatin THINK will act in accrdance with the spirit and requirements f the legislatin and guidelines. 2. Definitins Disability: THINK uses the definitin f Part 1 Sectin 4 f the Disability Discriminatin Act (1992) which includes physical, psychlgical and psychiatric cnditins and injuries, and nging medical cnditins Inherent requirements: skills and knwledge in a curse which must be successfully cmpleted by students regardless f their disability because they are essential t the relevant curse. Reasnable adjustments: adjustments that can be made t allw a student with a disability t participate in educatin n the same basis as ther students. Adjustments are reasnable if they balance the interests f all parties affected and d nt affect the academic standards r inherent requirements f a subject r curse. 3. Scpe This plicy applies t all students enrlled in ne r mre curses at THINK. 4. Principles THINK is guided by the principles relating t access and equity fr students and prspective students with a disability. Inclusive practice is the primary strategy fr accmmdating the needs f students with disabilities and their carers. Wherever reasnably practicable, barriers will be remved r reduced in a systemic manner thereby reducing the need fr students with disabilities t seek tailred services r adjustments. Students and, where applicable, prspective students with disabilities have a respnsibility t prvide infrmatin that will assist THINK in the timely planning and implementatin f apprpriate services and adjustments. Prvisin f apprpriate services fr students with disabilities is the shared respnsibility f relevant rganisatinal areas within THINK. PL_AC_010 Disability Plicy Page 1 f 5 THINK: Clleges Pty Ltd ABN N RTO N 0269 HEP N 4375 CRICOS Prvider N 00246M

2 THINK recgnises that students with disabilities are themselves best placed t understand their disability and capacities. Cnsequently, students with disabilities seeking reasnable adjustments share the respnsibility fr identifying apprpriate slutins. Reasnable services and adjustments will be designed t reduce r remve disability related barriers and supprt student independent learning but will nt be implemented in such a way that diminishes the academic standards and integrity f THINK curses, r impses unjustifiable hardship n THINK. 5. Admissin t a THINK curse In rder t ensure that students with disabilities are nt discuraged frm applying fr admissin t its curses, nr discriminated against by admissin prcesses, THINK has implemented and mnitrs a flexible range f entry pathways. In rder t ensure access and participatin is cnsistent with the cmmitment and respnsibility THINK has t students with disabilities, a persn with a disability will be able t seek admissin n the same basis as a prspective student withut a disability. THINK recgnises that students with disabilities may have experienced prir educatinal disadvantage as a result f their disability. This disadvantage may be taken int cnsideratin by THINK during admissin prcesses. THINK prvides all prspective students with advice that infrms them f the inherent requirements f curses including infrmatin detailing any specific cmpetencies which are required. Students with disabilities can be prvided with reasnable services and adjustments, hwever, the inherent requirements f a curse cannt be cmprmised. 6. Disclsure Students with disabilities d nt need t disclse that they have a medical cnditin r disability. Hwever, if they require assessment and/r study adjustments r ther supprt services (a) they will be required t disclse that they have a disability and/r medical cnditin (withut necessarily naming the disability/cnditin), and (b) they will need t describe its impact n their studies. They will als need t prvide supprting dcumentatin abut the impact their disability r medical cnditin has n their studies frm a treating practitiner r qualified assessr. They maintain cntrl ver access t the infrmatin and determine what they chse t make available. The primary purpse f disclsure is t enable THINK t cnsider the apprpriateness f the prvisin f disability services t that student if they are successful in their applicatin t their chsen curse. This disclsure als enables THINK t fulfill statistical reprting respnsibilities t the Department f Educatin. Once students with disabilities have a Disability Access Plan in place they d nt need t disclse the underlying cause f the adjustments and/r supprt. The adjustments made are agreed fr the duratin f their enrlment r as therwise specified in the Plan. A student is nt legally required r bliged t disclse that they have a disability during their admissin prcess; hwever, THINK is nt respnsible fr making individual adjustments fr that student if required infrmatin abut their disability has nt been disclsed. Disclsure f a disability at admissin des nt lead t the autmatic prvisin f disability services. PL_AC_010 Disability Plicy Page 2 f 5 THINK: Clleges Pty Ltd ABN N RTO N 0269 HEP N 4375 CRICOS Prvider N 00246M

3 7. Requesting disability related services THINK aims t prvide all its services t students in an inclusive manner, minimising access difficulties and the requirement fr individual adjustments. Sme disclsures f disability will nt require services r adjustments, s n further actin will ccur unless prmpted by the student during their study. Sme disclsures f disability will require individual services and adjustments. In this case, dcumentatin will need t be prvided as detailed belw. 8. Dcumentatin Students wh request disability related services r adjustments will be required, in a timely manner, t prvide apprpriate dcumentatin frm a qualified prfessinal t the Curse and Careers Advisr (fr prspective students) r t the Student Services Team Leader (fr current students). This dcumentatin must utline: the nature and expected duratin f the disability r medical cnditins its functinal impact n studies recmmendatins as t adjustments and services required. The assessment must nt be mre than tw years ld and students may be requested t renew dcumentatin every tw years. Disability infrmatin prvided by students will be treated in accrdance with the Privacy Plicy. Infrmatin will nt be disseminated t staff fr any ther purpse r utside THINK withut the student's explicit written agreement. Hwever, infrmatin may be disclsed if there is a legal requirement t d s r if THINK has reasnable grunds fr cncern abut the health r safety f the student r ther persns. 9. Reasnable adjustments t teaching and assessments Reasnable services and adjustments will be made t accmmdate students with disabilities withut cmprmising the academic standard r inherent requirements f the curse. It is the respnsibility f THINK, in cnsultatin with the student, t identify thse elements f a curse that affect the student's ability t participate n the same basis as a student withut a disability. This may require reasnable adjustments t teaching and learning materials, teaching methdlgy and assessment. The fllwing circumstances will be taken int accunt when determining if a requested adjustment fr a student with disability is reasnable: the impact/s f student s disability, as described by the student, n their studies the advice prvided by the prfessinal specialists (e.g. Dctr s reprt) t supprt the student s applicatin the views f the student the effect f the adjustment n the student s independence and ability t achieve learning utcmes and participate in their subjects and curses the inherent requirements f their subject r curse the csts and benefits f making the adjustment; and PL_AC_010 Disability Plicy Page 3 f 5 THINK: Clleges Pty Ltd ABN N RTO N 0269 HEP N 4375 CRICOS Prvider N 00246M

4 the effect f the prpsed adjustment n staff and ther students. Where it is pssible t make reasnable adjustments r prvide reasnable services, the student will be asked t cmplete a Disability Access Plan. Where a student requires mdificatin t examinatins and assessments, this will be negtiated between the student and the Prgram Manager (r delegated nminee), and will be dcumented in the Disability Access Plan. These mdificatins will remain in place fr the duratin f the curse and maybe reviewed every tw years. Where a student requires mdificatin t practice based learning activities, this will be negtiated between the student and the Prgram Manager (r delegated nminee). Where negtiatin regarding adjustments invlves external placements, the relevant student s cnsent will be btained befre any disability related infrmatin is prvided externally. Where a student requires mdificatin t ther services, such as building and learning material accessibility, this will be negtiated between the student and the Prgram Manager (r delegated nminee), and will be dcumented in the Disability Access Plan. These mdificatins will remain in place fr the duratin f the curse and maybe reviewed every tw years. Where it is nt pssible t make reasnable adjustments r prvide a reasnable service, an ffer f admissin will nt be made. This decisin will be taken by the Campus Manager (r delegated nminee). 10. Disability Access Plan The Disability Access Plan will be the primary methd fr THINK t dcument the impact f a student's disability n their studies, the disability services which have been agreed, and the details f agreed adjustments t examinatin r assessment cnditins. It is nt expected that students with shrt term medical cnditins will require a Disability Access Plan. Prcedures fr variatin t assessment methds, tasks and timelines n medical grunds are utlined in the Assessment Plicy. Students are encuraged t infrm THINK f their disability related needs, and f the need t frmulate a Disability Access Plan where required. Students are required t make any requests fr disability related services and adjustments in a timely manner such that academic participatin can be planned ver the duratin f a study perid. The Student Services Team Leader will prvide students with assistance in discussing their disability related needs with ther staff where required. Academic staff will use the Disability Access Plan as a basis fr discussin with students wh require reasnable adjustments t accmmdate their disability. The Disability Access Plan must be apprved by the Campus Manager (r delegated nminee) befre it can be implemented. Each subsequent material adjustment t the Disability Access Plan must als be apprved by the Campus Manager (r delegated nminee). PL_AC_010 Disability Plicy Page 4 f 5 THINK: Clleges Pty Ltd ABN N RTO N 0269 HEP N 4375 CRICOS Prvider N 00246M

5 11. Wrk Placements and Study Abrad Students with disabilities must: meet any requirement fr fitness tests applicable t wrk placements t be undertaken, and/r prvide evidence frm a medical, psychlgical r ther recgnised prfessinal specialist that they have the capacity t travel and live verseas. THINK is unable t guarantee access arrangements at ther institutins and rganisatins in Australia and verseas, and may nt apprve placements and study abrad fr individual students. In such cases, alternative arrangements fr meeting the learning utcmes f the curse will be negtiated with the student. 12. Risk management Where the nature r extent f a student s disability has the ptential t create a health and safety risk fr themselves, staff, students r thers, a risk assessment shuld be carried ut and apprpriate cntrl measures put in place, with the advice f Human Resurces. 13. Appeals A student r prspective student with a disability r medical cnditin wh is dissatisfied with an admissin r reasnable adjustment decisin by THINK may appeal the decisin by fllwing the Student Cmplaints Plicy and Internal Review Prcedure. 14. References Cmmnwealth Disability Discriminatin Act 1992 Disability Standards fr Educatin 2005 PL_AC_010 Disability Plicy Page 5 f 5 THINK: Clleges Pty Ltd ABN N RTO N 0269 HEP N 4375 CRICOS Prvider N 00246M