Inclusive Practice is Good Practice

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Section 2: STRATEGIES FOR INCLUSIVE PRACTICE
 

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2.4 WHAT ABOUT PHYSICAL ACCESS?

Education and training providers are required by law to provide physical access for people with disabilities to their buildings and facilities. (Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992) In practical terms this means that a student or staff member with a disability could lodge a complaint if for example: they were unable to access a classroom because it is located on the second floor of a building which has no lift, or if the presence of heavy doors prevented their access to the library.

Try to think of access more broadly than ramps, lifts and toilets. Examples of some other factors requiring consideration include:

    • signage, eg. for a person with a vision impairment using facilities within a building;
    • facilities such as vending machines or counters within buildings;
    • visual indicators of emergency situations such as evacuations;
    • switches and lighting;
    • parking facilities for vehicles used by people with a disability; and
    • hearing augmentation systems in auditoriums.

Sometimes we don’t see ourselves as individually having a role to play in addressing these barriers but we all share responsibility and there are a range of strategies we can adopt to improve access in our own immediate working environment. Consider:

    • how accessible your classroom/lecture theatre/ laboratory/workshop is;
    • physical adjustments that could be made to the facility and equipment;
    • seating arrangements which maximise all student’s ability to see and hear;
    • what your attitude could be if you are requested to move your class to another venue that is accessible; and
    • what provisions would need to be made on required field trips/ work experience/work place training/practicals/workshops.

It is important to recognise that:

  • students who have a sensory disability, use a wheelchair or experience other forms of mobility impairment can have different needs;
  • whilst some access problems are complex, steps can be taken to creatively develop solutions in partnership with students. Not all solutions will be high tech or involve a great deal of time and money; and
  • improving access will benefit not just the individual but many other students and staff, both present and future.

The process of meeting access requirements can be made easier by:

    • consulting with students and others well before they commence a course, as early notification allows time for preparation;
    • investigating the possible use of existing expertise available within your organisation (eg maintenance or engineering staff are usually adept at determining, in partnership with the student, modifications that can be applied in a cost effective and timely manner); and
    • advocating, on an ongoing basis, for access issues to be addressed in the development of new facilities or modification of existing ones.

Fact Sheet 1 provides specific information regarding physical access and details personnel who can assist you with further information and advice.

 

Acknowledgment is made of material reproduced with permission from the following sources:

Hehir, Leo (Ed.), RDLU Information Series

http://www.deakin.edu.au/extern/rdlu/infosheets.html (18 September 1997)

National Training Authority, ResponseAbility - People With Disabilities - Skilling Staff in Vocational Education, Training and Employment Sectors. Staff Development Kit, National Training Authority. 1997

 

2.5 WHAT ABOUT ACCESS TO INFORMATION/STUDY MATERIALS?

Students require access to information and study materials in a format which best meets their needs. The importance of making materials available in electronic format cannot be overstated because, with the aid of technology, this format renders information accessible to almost everyone. (eg. a student who is blind or visually impaired can, from disk material, print out a large print copy, read it on a computer screen using screen enlargement software, listen to it via a voice synthesiser or convert it into braille.)

Good Practice:

As standard practice at the University of Tasmania’s School of Education, all lecture notes and readings are accessible to students via electronic mail.

There are a range of alternative formats and a number of strategies which can be applied in the process of successfully assisting the student to access the information they require.

Your institution’s disability support staff can assist you with information, advice and resources.

a) What Type Of Alternatives Exist?

Those which provide printed materials in accessible formats include:

  • COMPUTER DISK

  • AUDIO TAPE
    •

Lecture or training sessions can be readily taped using an audio cassette recorder. Students who experience writing difficulties can also provide information on audio tape. More complex needs, eg. taping of a text book, usually require the recording to be made using high quality equipment and highly trained staff working to exacting standards.

  • BRAILLE
    •

Braille can be produced directly by a typist using a braille embosser. Larger quantities of text are usually produced from computer text-file format and printed out using a braille printer. (See Fact Sheet 3.2)

  • LARGE PRINT (text and diagrams/images)
    •

Usually achieved through a process of photocopying or utilisation of text enlarging computer software. (See Fact Sheet 3.12) For some students the use of a hand or sheet magnifier or closed circuit television (CCTV) can be a more useful option. (See Fact Sheet 3.3)

  • TACTUAL GRAPHICS
    •

Allows the representation of visual images on braille type paper or in some cases, live using a special mat which produces a relief image.

Further alternatives include:

  • CAPTIONING
    •

For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, video captions may assist their interpretation of material presented audiovisually.

  • CONVERSION TO PLAIN ENGLISH VERSIONS
    •

For students who experience difficulty accessing information which has been written in complex language, material can be rewritten in "plain English" format. This may particularly assist students who have an intellectual disability, some forms of learning disability or for Deaf students whose first language is AUSLAN.

 

b) Providing Accessible Format Materials

Accessible formats can take time to prepare so planning ahead is important.

TEACHERS can greatly assist students by:

  • wherever possible, providing materials in electronic format;
  • inviting them at the earliest possible stage to notify you of their specific needs;
  • providing early access to course materials, some of which may include such items as reading lists, assignments, course notes and curriculum information. The conversion of a text book to audio tape, may take up to three months;
  • varying the methods by which you present information; and
  • providing the library with timely access to updated course information, for example, reading lists.

Contacts for further information about arranging accessible material are listed in Section 6 of this booklet.

LIBRARIES can assist significantly through the provision of:

  • extended library loan periods or access to telephone or electronic borrowing; and
  • physical assistance to students who require it eg. accessing books from shelves, accessing printed and computer based catalogues, photocopying.

 

c) Use Of Support Personnel

In some circumstances, it may be necessary to engage the services of support personnel in order to assist students to gain access to, or provide information.

  • SIGN INTERPRETERS provide an essential support for Deaf students who use signed English or Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) to communicate. They interpret spoken English into signed language.
  • READERS assist students who are unable to read print (eg. some students who are blind or those who experience involuntary head movements). They also assist some students who access auditory information better than visual information (eg. some students with learning disability or acquired brain injury).
  • NOTETAKERS assist students who experience difficulties in being able to take class notes of their own . The Notetaker can be a student who is studying the same class or a person from outside the class who has the appropriate skills and background.
  • SCRIBES (Also called a writer or amanuensis) assist students who:
    • are unable to write or type (eg. some students with quadriplegia or cerebral palsy);
    • have reduced writing speed or loss of endurance for writing (eg some students with muscular dystrophy or an injury to the dominant hand or arm);
    • experience pain when writing (eg. in the case of overuse injury or some forms of arthritis).
    • are restricted in their ability to maintain the posture needed for writing or typing;
    • present information better in an oral form than in a written form (eg some students with learning disability).

The Scribe’s job is to record the student’s work.

  • PERSONAL ASSISTANTS are people who follow the student’s instructions to help them complete manual tasks (eg. turning pages, inserting computer disks, removing their coat) or, in some cases, assist with personal care tasks during rest breaks.

Please refer to Fact Sheet 2 for more specific strategies regarding access to information.

 

Acknowledgment is made of material reproduced with permission from the following sources:

Rodgers, Nancy and Jordan, Martina, Alternative Assessment for Students With Disabilities, Griffith University, Queensland. 1993

Continue through to the next section on Strategies

 

Contents | Introduction | Strategies for Inclusive Practice | What The Law Says | Legislative Requirements | Rights and Responsibilities | Code of Practice | Who Can Assist? | Examples of Inclusive Practice | Appropriate Language and Behaviour | Index to Fact Sheet Series | Bibliography | Recommended References | Tasmanian Organisations | Acknowledgements