Global Access Project – A centralised solution to support disability support workers Sharon Kerr Global Access Project An initiative of the Higher Education.

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 …

Contact Sharon:[email protected]

0487104391

Thank you