Disability inclusion services

Students must register with Disability Inclusion Support to access the service.  To register, first make an appointment with the Disability Inclusion team, you  will be required to provide evidence of your disability, health or mental health condition (for example, a doctor’s certificate or Disability Support Pension card) as part of your registration.

Note: Students enrolled in VETDSS are required contact their host school for support instead of The Gordon.

Every student who enrols in a course at The Gordon is required to understand and meet the Personal Learning Requirements of the course they are applying for. These refer to the capabilities students needs to meet in order to successfully complete a course If you or our enrolment team identify possible challenges that you may have meeting these requirements, you will be invited to attend a Pre-enrolment Consultation meeting.

These meetings are informal and relaxed, providing you with an opportunity to understand the requirements of the course and the industry. During the meeting, you can find out what Reasonable Adjustments and supports may be available to help you participate in the course. These meetings can then help you to make informed and independent decisions before continuing with your application in the course.

Additional support is available for secondary student before enrolment.

Find out more. 

A Personalised Success Plan is a formal document that is developed and reviewed for students who are registered with Disability Inclusion Support that identifies and communicates their access and participation needs to staff.

A Personalised Success Plan outlines;

• Guiding strategies and inclusive practice recommendations
• Reasonable Adjustments
• Additional services
• Your strengths and interests
• Medical and safety precautions

 
The plans do not include support relating to personal care to students or socialisation skills.

The plan is developed in accordance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005, The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and in collaboration with you and key staff.  The PSP is formally signed in acknowledgment by all parties.

Students and educational stakeholders can request a review of the plan at any time.   Students will receive regular check-in emails reminding them to contact Disability Inclusion Support if their support needs change.

The library has accessible devices available for student use. Find out more under "Accessible devices and software" in IT Essentials.

Student Education Assistant

Student Education Assistants (SEAs) aim to positively impact the learning, engagement and wellbeing of students with disability and/or learning needs. Please note that SEAs will not complete work for a student.

SEA’s may support you within or outside of the classroom with;

• Note-taking
• Clarifying teacher directions and expectations
• Reviewing vocabulary, procedures/processes, concepts
• Simplify content, build on answers, reinforce class explanations
• Discuss assessment questions and details
• Break slabs of text into manageable pieces
• Prompt you to generate answers
• Executive Function skills
• Accessibility requirements (SEA’s do not provide personal care to students)
• Socialisation skills

The hours of SEA support offered to students is discussed with the student and Disability Inclusion Officer on a case-by-case basis.  Some students find they only require assistance for specific lessons or practical activities. SEA Support is dependent on staff resourcing and full-time support is not guaranteed. 

Disability Inclusion Officers

We have two Disability Inclusion Officers who are ready to support your through your journey at The Gordon TAFE.

• Vrinda Constable
• Aaron Chelberg

A Disability Inclusion Officer will work with students to identify what support requirements are needed to address any impacts a disability or condition may have on accessing and participating in their chosen studies and they will assist in communicating these needs to key staff.|

Disability Inclusion Support service and staff are guided by the Disability Standards for Education 2005, Disability Discrimination Act 1992) the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986. 

External Support Workers

Students who have a support worker as part of their NDIS plan should contact a Disability Inclusion Officer to see if they are able to provide support on campus at The Gordon.  A student with an external support worker on campus would not also be eligible for a Student Education Assistant.

TAFE Specialist Employment Partnership (TSEP) a free, on-campus service where specialist disability recruitment consultants support students living with a disability to achieve their career goals. Recruitment consultants can assist with;

• resumes
• interview skills
• building confidence
• finding employment.

For more information contact Disability Inclusion Support.

DAAWS

The 'Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support' (DAAWS) scheme supports apprentices/trainees to help them reach their potential as skilled workers. This is done by supporting eligible employers who take on a trainee with a disability with assistance  which may include wage support and / or funding for workplace modifications. 

Additional support for off-the-job training is available to Australian Apprentices with a disability including if you are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and are experiencing difficulty. This could be tutorial assistance, mentor assistance or interpreter assistance.

Contact Disability Inclusion Support for more information.

Employment Assistance Fund

Help may also be available through the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) which can provide financial aid to obtain workplace assistance and support services, such as modified equipment or training.

Quiet rooms offer space to withdraw, regulate or simply relax. Find out about these and other inclusive spaces that are provided as part of our campus facilities.

Reasonable adjustment is a legislative term that, for VET, refers to a measure or action taken by an education provider to enable learners with disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as learners without disability.

 All RTOs are obliged to provide reasonable adjustment to ensure maximum participation of learners with disability.  An adjustment is considered reasonable if it achieves its aim of making sure a student with a disability can take part in their education on the same basis as students without a disability, and if it balances the interests of everyone affected. This includes the education provider, staff and other students.

The academic standards of the unit/course should not be lowered in order to accommodate the needs of any student but there is a requirement to be flexible in relation to the way in which it is delivered or assessed. Students should be given as much information as possible to enable them to make an informed decision about whether they can undertake a course with or without reasonable adjustments as the student may be able to complete an alternative course of study more appropriate to their abilities.

The student, teaching staff, disability staff and relevant allied health professionals should negotiate reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments can encompass a range of areas including the physical environment, teaching delivery and format, utilisation of assistance equipment and reduction of study load. Examples of adjustments include:

• providing access to classroom materials through assistive technologies such as screen readers
• adapting the physical environment, for example, installing ramps
• modifying the curriculum and assessments, for example allowing a student to answer assessments orally or use a computer
• presenting classroom materials in a different way such as visual, oral or demonstrations
• adapting teaching style, for example breaking lessons and/or activities into smaller sections so they are easier to understand
• reducing the distance between classes/classrooms for students who have physical disabilities
• giving extra time to move from class to class
• allowing more time to complete an exam or assessment or giving the student rest breaks
• planning excursions in accessible locations, for example making sure the location is wheelchair accessible.
• changes to course design, e.g. substituting an assessment task

Your information will only be shared with your permission.  You will be asked to sign the Personalised Success Plan which gives Disability Inclusion Officers permission to share this information with relevant Gordon educators and support staff.

• Department of Education
• NDCO – National Disability Coordination Officer Program
• ADCET - Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training
• AHRC - Australian Human Rights Commission
• NDIS - National Disability Insurance Scheme
• My Aged Care
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• National Relay Service
• Auslan Connections

Legislation and Policy

• Disability Discrimination Act (Commonwealth) -  the Federal Act which makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person with a disability
• Disability Standards for Education (2005)  a framework for educational institutions to demonstrate their commitment to the requirements of the DDA
• Guidance Notes - further information about the Act and the Standards.