Table of contents

• Introduction
• Introduction to terminology
• Progress and achievements
• Action plan 
• Implementation, reporting and review
• Summary of relevant legislation
• Glossary

Introduction

USC’s Action Plan is guided by our Strategic Plan and the Diversity and Inclusion Plan to ensure that we are consistently articulating and meeting our commitment to equity, access and inclusion for people with disability. This Plan will guide our actions in coming years, and is strongly led and influenced by principles of universal design. The student co-design group and those with lived experience of disability have been key stakeholders, contributors and reviewers in developing the Plan, and will continue to be influential in subsequent reviews of the Plan.

This Plan aims to provide guidance on how USC will seek to ensure positive outcomes for students, staff and our community, particularly in employability, research and representation across levels of the institution. In order to remain responsive and contemporary, the Plan will undergo regular review with a strong focus on the implementation and reporting mechanisms.

This Plan reflects USC’s strong institutional commitment to disability access and inclusion and commitment to ensuring that the Plan is owned and known by everyone at USC.

This Plan is mapped against the Guiding Principles for Universities of Good Practice to Support Retention and Success of Students with Disability[1]. The Plan is also influenced by the biopsychosocial model of disability and acknowledges the complex impacts of intersectionality.

Introduction to terminology

Disability

The University of the Sunshine Coast recognises the legal definition of disability, as defined in the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992, or impairment, as described in the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991. In both instruments, this encompasses temporary or permanent physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, and neurological and learning disabilities and the presence in the body of organisms causing, or capable of causing, disease. It also includes a disability that presently exists, existed in the past, or may exist in the future, as well as a disability that is imputed or presumed to a person.

Reasonable adjustments

Alternative arrangements or modifications are important for ensuring equal access to employment or education for people with disabilities. The University is required by law to make reasonable adjustments for staff or prospective staff with disabilities to ensure equity in areas such as job applications, interview processes and the capacity to meet the inherent requirements of a position. The University is also obliged to make reasonable adjustments for students with a disability to enable them to equitably participate in courses or programs wherever necessary and reasonable to do so without affecting the essential academic requirements of a course and to use the University facilities and services on the same basis as other students. Adjustments might, for example, include provision of adaptive equipment or software, changing course delivery or assessment procedures, or modification of premises.

Universal design  

Universal design is the process of designing products and environments to be usable to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of age, life status, ability of disability, without the need for adaptation or specialised design[1].

USC aims to embed universal design thinking into our built environments and IT environments, as well as in our curriculum, teaching practices, instructional materials and in all university processes and services.

Principles of universal design: 

1. Equitable Use: The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
2. Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple and Intuitive Use – Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible Information – The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error – The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
6. Low Physical Effort – The design minimises hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
7.  Size and Space for Approach and Use – Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

Progress and achievements

USC launched its five-year Disability Action Plan in 2015 and it was subsequently reviewed to cover 2020. Achievements include: 

• Inherent academic requirements are developed, published and promoted to prospective and commencing students 
• Equity and Diversity Committee meets triennially to address equity and diversity issues for both staff and students and to promote the principles of the University’s Equity and Diversity - Governing Policy 
• Significant system review included the CIMS project, which involved an update to the student experience for mobility, usability and accessibility 
• A project was initiated to assist academics to enhance their blended learning content. As a part of this project, web accessibility was included and embedded into the variety of workflows academics could utilise to develop their online learning content 
• Formal training sessions for developing web accessible resources were conducted and resources are available to all staff online. Staff also have access to a range of resources on universal design principles and strategies 
• Diversity and Inclusion information available to staff, students and public outlining our commitment to create an inclusive culture 

Action plan

The outcomes stated in this Plan will guide the actions USC takes. Each outcome area and subsequential actions align to one or more of the goals outlined in USC’s Strategic Plan. It is acknowledged that USC’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Plan will guide and influence further DAIP outcomes and actions. This DAIP will be revised as necessary to ensure consistency with the Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

Implementation, reporting and review 

Implementation of the DAIP requires a university-wide response where everyone in the USC community has a role to play.

Leadership is required across all levels to ensure robust implementation of the Plan. The successful implementation of the Plan will require intentional actions that shape inclusive practice across the University on a daily basis, as well as addressing barriers. We need to be responsive to ever-changing contexts and emerging issues that impact on individuals, the University and the wider community.

The Vice-Chancellor and President’s Equity and Diversity Committee will have overall responsibility for monitoring the implementation and review of the Plan. The Committee brings together representatives from Executive, Senior Management, Diversity Units, Student Representative Council Members and academic staff and ensures representation from all USC campuses.

• Embed actions in planning opportunities to ensure engagement and that the Plan is accessible and visible across the Institution  
• Human Resources and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) will provide regular performance reports to the Vice-Chancellor and President’s Equity and Diversity Committee, with recommendations to inform, prioritise, further resource, and to move performance forward 
• Encourage individuals to engage with the Plan and provide feedback through enhanced reporting opportunities 
• Hold leaders accountable for the delivery of outcomes 
• Actively promote achievements and outcomes throughout the life of the Plan