Disabled ‘not happy’ on campus

Student union disability advocates are calling for reform of discrimination legislation over concerns classes and buildings are not flexible enough to cater to students with varying needs.

Advocates from various Australian universities have called for reform of the Disability Discrimination Act to address what they believe is ‘systemic ­neglect’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Student union disability advocates are calling for reform of ­discrimination legislation over concerns university classes and buildings are not flexible enough to cater to students with varying needs.

Advocates from various Australian universities have called for reform of the Disability Discrimination Act to address what they believe is “systemic ­neglect”, and the Australian Law Students Association is in the process of preparing a report.

The Australian spoke to several disabled students who raised concerns about outdated disability access plans, a lack of flexible study options and unmodified heritage buildings preventing them from accessing classes.

National Union of Students disability officer and Swinburne student Georgie McDaid, who uses a wheelchair for her Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, said she had trouble accessing the university’s chemistry building for her class at the Hawthorn campus.

“It’s very old. There’s steps up to the front door. It can be a bit difficult … so chemistry is definitely a no-go,” Ms McDaid said.

“I can go on the escalator if I haven’t got my wheelchair and I’m on crutches but nine times out of 10 they aren’t working.”

An Australian Law Students Association disability spokesman said he and other disabled students were frustrated that “the responsibility to address ­ableism consistently falls upon disabled students and academics”, but it needed to be a priority for universities and governments to ensure disabled students could access classes.

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s register of disability discrimination action plans reveals five universities have not updated their plans in more than 10 years.

University of Queensland student union disability officer Alicia Steele said courses should be designed to allow for flexibility at the outset.