Equal Opportunity & Diversity

Flinders University is committed to upholding the fundamental rights of people with disabilities and to developing an institutional culture that values and strives for standards of excellence in all areas of access^*, including teaching and learning methodologies, research, curriculum design, assessment, communication and technology and premises.

This committee follows the definition of disability as per the Commonwealth's Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The definition of "disability" used in the DDA is broad. It includes physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological and learning disabilities. It also includes physical disfigurement and the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms, such as the HIV virus. The DDA covers disabilities that people have now, had in the past, and may have in the future or which they are believed to have.

The purpose of the University Disability and Access Committee is to provide a forum for discussion on disability matters and obtain feedback from relevant members, and to advise the Vice-Chancellor and University executives on the quality and standard of access, equity and issues relevant to teaching and learning methodologies, curriculum design, assessment, research, communication and technology and access to premises, and the University's strategic plans and overarching policy.

This committee reports to the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Committee.

*Access here means beyond physical access to and between buildings and across the campus of Flinders University. It also means that teaching and learning methodologies, curriculum design, assessment, research, and information is made accessible - provided in formats that are accessible to students and staff. It also includes Communication Access.

• To provide advice and recommendations to enable students with disabilities to have equal access to teaching and learning methodologies, curriculum design, assessment, research, communication and technology and premises.
• To monitor and review the University's Disability Action Plan.
• To monitor safe and equitable access for all people on campus and for students studying externally.
• To provide advice and recommendations to the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Committee and cost centres regarding: the implementation of the Disability Action Plan; and the provision of resources to people with disabilities.
• To report to the Vice-Chancellor through the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Committee on matters related to disability policy and the Disability Action Plan.
• To make recommendations to appropriate areas of the University on suitable expenditure in relation to all areas of access issues on campus.

• Chairperson (appointed from within committee)
• Directors of Academic and Student Services Division, Property, Facilities and Development Division, Information and Digital Services and People and Culture or their nominees
• Manager, Equal Opportunity and Diversity or nominee
• Student Council Disability Officer
• At least one academic and/or professional staff member with a disability (appointed following a call for expression of interest). They represent the wider university staff cohort
• Up to four students with a disability nominated by disability advisor, including at least one international student. They represent the wider university student cohort
• University Librarian or nominee
• At least one College Disability Academic Advisor from each of the six colleges. The term should be 3-5 years
• Disability advisors (one disability advisor to act as Executive Officer as appointed by the committee)

Option of co-opting a member who is a specialist in the field of disability.

Students and staff with disabilities who are non-members of the committee may attend and have speaking rights. However, this must be requested with details prior to the meeting and the chair of the committee will make a decision on whether this will be allowed.

Chairperson - appointed by calendar year, and may be reappointed for a further term.

Committee to meet 3 times per year.