• Section 1 - Purpose
• Document Context
• Section 2 - Guidelines
• University commitment
• Requesting reasonable adjustments
• Timing of registration and planning
• Planning reasonable adjustments
• Guidelines for reasonable adjustments
• Funding reasonable adjustments
• Maintaining academic integrity
• Personal and health information and privacy
• Mandatory reporting of impairment – registered health practitioner students
• Return to work-integrated learning following approved special consideration
• Refusal of permission to undertake work-integrated learning 
• Summary of legislation
• Section 3 - Glossary

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) These guidelines:

1. describe recommended processes and support, as provisioned in various University policy texts, for staff assisting students with disability to arrange work-integrated learning that meets inherent requirements and provides the student with reasonable adjustment for disability
2. describe recommended processes and support for staff assisting students recovering from injury and/or illness to return to work-integrated learning that meets inherent requirements
3. support compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005
4. support compliance with Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, in particular standards 2 and 3.3.

Document Context

Section 2 - Guidelines

University commitment

(2) Charles Sturt University (the University) is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive study environment that enables students with disability to participate in University life on the same basis as other members of the University community (see the Disability and Work or Study Adjustment Policy and the Equal Opportunity Policy).

Requesting reasonable adjustments

(3) The University will provide reasonable adjustments for students who:

1. are living with disability or a health condition, or
2. have ongoing carer responsibility for an immediate family member or friend who is living with disability or a long-term health condition

(4) Students who require reasonable adjustment to participate in work-integrated learning activities must:

1. be registered with the University's Accessibility and Inclusion Support and have a current study access plan or a carer support plan
2. review and understand the learning objectives and inherent requirements for each placement/subject and identify their needs and adjustments (or consult with the Workplace Learning Coordinator for advice)

Timing of registration and planning

(5) Students who may require reasonable adjustment for work-integrated learning are strongly encouraged to register with Accessibility and Inclusion Support and have a current study access plan or carer support plan in place as early as possible in their course, and no later than before the commencement of the work-integrated learning activity. Early identification of required reasonable adjustments is to the student's advantage, as these adjustments frequently require negotiation with the host organisation. Providing as much lead time as possible is important, particularly where requests are complex. Late requests may limit the placement options available and narrow the range of adjustments that can practicably be arranged once a placement has been allocated.

(6) Where a student's need for reasonable adjustment is identified after enrolment in the work-integrated learning subject, including a new condition, a change to an existing condition, or a requirement that only becomes apparent once the placement's inherent requirements are known, the student should contact Accessibility and Inclusion Support and their Workplace Learning Coordinator as soon as the need is identified. The University will consider a request for reasonable adjustment at any point. Late notification may limit the adjustments that can be arranged for a particular placement, and a placement may need to be rescheduled to allow the required adjustments to be put in place

(7) Contact information for Workplace Learning Coordinators will normally be provided in the school or faculty workplace learning handbook or in the subject outlines for subjects with workplace learning components.

Planning reasonable adjustments

Workplace Learning Coordinator actions

(8) When an adjustment is requested for a work-integrated learning activity, Workplace Learning Coordinators should:

1. discuss the learning objectives and inherent requirements of the placement/subject with the student
2. consult and work collaboratively with Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor on production of WIL Plan for student to determine reasonable adjustments for WIL activity for student and provide to WPL team in sufficient time to effect required adjustments.
   1. Identify only necessary information to be shared with the industry partner, ensuring student consent is obtained, as stated in clause 58(b) of the Work-Integrated Learning Procedure
3. consider the suitability of available placement agencies
4. subject to clause 14, communicate to the placement agency the needs of the student and the suggested adjustments required while the student is on placement. Forward a copy of the workplace learning plan.

Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor actions

(9) Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor should:

1. discuss with students who are registered with Accessibility and Inclusion Support if a Carer Support Plan or Work-integrated Learning Plan planning is required for placement(s). Include the need for placement planning in the study access plan.
2. provide advice on and recommend reasonable adjustments and support to the Workplace Learning Coordinator
3. provide resources which could include specialised equipment or funding for reasonable adjustments
4. provide input for work-integrated learning plans with suggested adjustments for what is within delegation (i.e. location specific placements)
5. consult with the student and WPL coordinators to discuss and problem solve adjustments that can be put in place
6. be responsible for finalising the WIL reasonable adjustments with a plan following consultation, if consultation is required.

Guidelines for reasonable adjustments

(10) Examples of reasonable adjustments are set out in:

1. Assessment Flexibility Procedure section 4
2. Students With Disability - Reasonable Adjustments: Disability Specific

Funding reasonable adjustments

(11) Accessibility and Inclusion Support must be consulted prior to an agreement to pay for educational support or for specialised equipment at a workplace related to reasonable adjustments. Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor can determine if the cost for the student is eligible to be claimed under available funding.

(12) The University will claim for reimbursement of costs for supporting students by following the guidelines set by the Department of Education.

Maintaining academic integrity

(13) In accordance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005, there is a requirement that reasonable adjustment for workplace learning will be implemented if it does not compromise the academic integrity of the subject or course:

Personal and health information and privacy

(14) The University’s Privacy Management Plan allows that, in making reasonable adjustments for workplace learning for students with disability, it may be necessary to share personal and health information with the placement agency. The University will secure the consent of students and disclose only the information necessary to arrange reasonable adjustment within a workplace. The recommended form for obtaining student consent is the Work-Integrated Learning Health and Safety Disclosure Form.

Mandatory reporting of impairment – registered health practitioner students

(15) Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) (National Law), disability is included in the overarching definition of impairment and, if students in related University courses have a health impairment, conditions may be imposed upon their registration to ensure that they are able to participate in a safe manner.

(16) The National Law sets down specific grounds for mandatory notifications by health practitioners and education providers related to impairments for students such that:

1. registered health practitioners must make a notification to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) if, in the course of practising their profession, they form a reasonable belief that a student has an impairment that in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm (s 141(1)(b))
2. education providers must notify Ahpra if they reasonably believe that a student enrolled in a program of study provided by the education provider, or a student for whom they have arranged clinical training, has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training as part of the program of study, may place the public at substantial risk of harm (s 143(1)(a)-(b))

(17) Such notification is protected from civil, criminal or administrative liability (s 237).

(18) Faculty of Science and Health has local procedures to guide mandatory reporting.

Return to work-integrated learning following approved special consideration

(19) Where special consideration to delay workplace learning due to a short-term disability or condition, or exacerbation of an existing disability or condition, has been approved, the student must provide a signed medical certificate from a registered professional in a relevant health profession giving the dates from which the student is cleared to safely return to workplace learning.

Refusal of permission to undertake work-integrated learning 

(20) The Executive Dean (or their nominee) may refuse a student permission to undertake workplace learning if they fail to meet pre-placement requirements, would pose a risk to themselves or others if they undertook the placement, or cannot meet the required professional standard. See the Assessment - Conduct of Coursework Assessment and Examinations Procedure. 

(21) Students may appeal this decision under the University Student Appeals Policy and University Student Appeals Procedure. 

Summary of legislation

(22) Disability Discrimination Act 1992 protects individuals across Australia from direct and indirect discrimination in many parts of public life, such as employment, education and access to premises.

(23) Disability Standards for Education 2005 clarify obligations for education providers under the Disability Discrimination Act. The Standards require organisations to take reasonable steps to enable students with disability to participate in education and use facilities and services on the same basis as a student without disability.

(24) Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW). The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has partnered with National Health Practitioner Boards to regulate health professionals and health professional students. Students enrolled in related University courses and undergoing clinical experience in the workplace will be impacted by the National Law.

(25) Under the National Law, disability is included in the overarching definition of impairment, such that impairment is defined as:

(26) Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998  (NSW) (PPIPA) provides information privacy principles for the protection of personal information held by agencies. The University has a Privacy Management Plan in accordance with the requirements of the PPIPA. In the administration and management of workplace learning for any students, personal information will be exchanged with the workplaces. This information commonly includes name and contact details. The University recognises that in making reasonable adjustments for workplace learning for students with disability it may be necessary to share further information to support the development of appropriate reasonable adjustments.

(27) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 aims to ensure the health and safety of workers and workplaces through the elimination or minimisation of risks. The ability to meet the health and safety standards of the workplace agency is regarded as an inherent requirement for workplace learning.

Section 3 - Glossary

(28) For the purpose of these guidelines:

1. Disability – refers to a disorder, malfunction, illness or disease affecting physical, sensory, intellectual, learning, psychiatric or neurological functions. Disability may be temporary or permanent, total or partial, lifelong, acquired or imputed.
2. Inherent requirements - as defined in the policy library glossary.
3. Reasonable adjustment - refers to the administrative, environmental or procedural alterations that are required to remove unnecessary barriers to people with disability working or studying effectively and on the same basis as others. Universities have a statutory responsibility to make such adjustments in work and study contexts wherever it is necessary, possible and reasonable to do so. An adjustment is considered reasonable if it takes into account the requirements of the person with disability and balances the interests of all parties affected. An organisation may refuse to introduce an adjustment if it can demonstrate that to do so would cause it unjustifiable hardship (as described in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992).