Student Support

Students with a disability or chronic health condition whether an existing or temporary condition may be eligible for a reasonable adjustment to assist them to meet the inherent requirements of their course. At Western Sydney University, reasonable adjustments are provided to students through a formal document called an Academic Reasonable Adjustment Plan (ARAP).

The Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require institutions to make reasonable adjustments to enable students with disability to participate in education on the same basis as a student without disability.

The Disability Service of Student Support Services is responsible for ensuring students with a disability or health condition are provided with appropriate assistance, support and services to access study at Western Sydney University. A Disability Advisor will work directly with students to provide support and services to match their academic and access requirements.

An ARAP is developed for each student registered with the Disability Service. It sets out the reasonable educational adjustments that the student requires complete their academic work while managing the symptoms of their disability or health condition.

The ARAP is considered to be a legal agreement between the student and the University, stating what adjustments the University will implement for the student during each teaching session. The ARAP is developed based on current supporting evidence provided by the student as well as their own report of symptoms and impacts. The ARAP, once developed, is then implemented by various departments including the School, the Assessment and Graduation Unit, Library and Campus Safety and Security.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments that can made to assist students are:

• Additional time to complete exams and / or multiple choice exams
• Provision of audio recorded lectures or permission to audio record lectures
• Class handouts / lecture presentations provided online prior to the scheduled class

For further information about developing an ARAP please contact the Student Disability Service.