Abilities, disabilities and support

All students have strengths and weaknesses, some of which may affect their studies. At the College staff seek to encourage and help all students to develop their gifts and abilities to the fullest possible extent. Students who have disabilities may seek special consideration. Many students with disabilities have studied successfully at the College.

Providing information

While it may not be easy to acknowledge a personal disability, unless disabilities are acknowledged, understood and recorded, they cannot be taken into account in relation to College requirements. Students who have a disability that may affect their studies are asked to indicate this in the appropriate place on the Application form. The College will take disabilities into account if students make their needs known in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time.

Students who wish to have disabilities taken into account in relation to their studies are responsible for discussing this with the Dean of Academic Administration and/or their Course Advisor at the earliest possible opportunity. This should be done before the second week of the semester in which the student commences studies.

Prospective students are required to inform the College on the application form of any existing disabilities which may affect their studies and generally is best discussed at the initial interview prior to enrolment or in a separate interview with the Dean of Academic Administration.

Any student who has already commenced study may have any newly diagnosed disability taken into account in relation to their studies are responsible for discussing this with the Dean of Academic Administration and/or their Course Advisor at the earliest possible opportunity. This should be done as close to diagnosis as possible.

Normally, an official certificate must be supplied to provide evidence of the nature and significance of a disability. For example, a student who is seeking to have allowances made for dyslexia will need to provide formal evidence of having this disability.

Confidentiality

Personal information about student disabilities will be kept confidential, as far as possible. However, if a disability is to be taken into account in relation to assessments or learning exercises, the College may need to advise the lecturers/assessors concerned.

Special considerations

Having a disability will not exempt students from being required to meet certain standards in their work. The College is obliged to require a certain standard of work in all its accredited courses. All students must demonstrate the required knowledge, understanding and skills to pass in any unit. Students are expected to seek advice, help or assistance before, rather than after, submitting their assignment assessment tasks. Generally, the special considerations that may be made for students with disabilities include:

• additional time for assessment tasks and examinations; and
• alternative forms of assessment, e.g. oral examinations or multiple-choice examinations.

• Notification

An accepted or enrolled student must advise the College of a learning disability by completing a Student Support Request form so that some additional felxibility regarding assessment requirements may be permitted. The student should either

• provide evidence of the diagnosis already in the possession of the student, including, if possible, recommended support strategies for effective learning; or
• at his or her own expense, arrange for a report from an appropriately qualified specialist (e.g. doctor, psychologist, educational psychologist, or psychiatrist) which sets out the nature of the condition, and suggests a recommended learning support strategy, (e.g. additional time for exams, reading or the completion of assessment tasks, additional lighting, special seating, etc.); 

and

• give written consent (with the agreement of the specialist who provided the report) for a representative of the College to contact the specialist for clarification as needed.

The College will endeavour to implement appropriate intervention strategies in a timely manner. The College will maintain a register of all implemented intervention strategies.

Some strategies will be formalised by the preparation of a Special Arrangement in which case an electronic copy of the approved Special Arrangement will be provided to the student by email.

Any other strategies will be formalised by the College information the Academics in Charge of the student's units, in writing.

The College is responsible to inform the student's Academics in Charge in writing of any support arrangement.

Facilities

Facilities at the College include accessible toilets and a lift to the upper floors.