Ableism in the Universities Accord - Joint Submission

Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) and various disability peak bodies are devastated by the use of ableist language and the deliberate exclusion of people with profound disability in the Australian University Accord 2024 and have called for an urgent review in a joint submission.

The peak bodies call for:

1. An immediate retraction of the ableist language used in the Accord and a recalculation of the target participation on rate for people with disability to be inclusive of all people.
2. The inclusion of people with disability and people with expertise in working with students with disability in higher education in the implementation of the recommendations of the Accord.
3. Addition of specific provisions to the national student charter and the National Student Ombudsman that address the specific needs of students with disability as identified in the Royal Commission and enshrined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA).
4. The implementation of actions that enable people with disability to participate and succeed in higher education, including the application of Universal Design for Learning principles and inclusive workplace environments, cultures and practices.