enabling people with disabilities

They say necessity is the mother of invention. A couple of years back the adage was vividly demonstrated by a profoundly deaf student in Murdoch’s Veterinary faculty. Lip reading was normally no problem, but when it came to surgery tutorials the standard face mask worn by the tutor made it impossible. The answer was a transparent mask – a special one that did not fog up.

Murdoch has carved out a reputation for ensuring that the special needs of students with disabilities or medical conditions are accommodated during their years at the University.

Last year people with disabilities comprised 5.4 per cent of overall student numbers, a 50 per cent increase over the past five years.

Assessing the individual needs of students and tailoring support services begins in the crucial first year, starting with a special Pre-Orientation Program to ease the stress of starting students at University. This program includes adaptive technology workshops that provide students with an introduction to a range of devices and procedures to help with lectures and practical classes.

“Often simple changes are all that is needed to enable students with disabilities to successfully complete their studies, just as turning up the lights to help the visually impaired or organising preferential seating near the lecturer,” said Murdoch University’s Pro Vice Chancellor Academic, Professor Jan Thomas.

“However we also do our utmost to provide state-of-the-art technology such as special stethoscopes that provide visual cues to a heartbeat for hearing impaired veterinary and biomedical students, captioning and voice technologies, or even providing motorised gophers for people with mobility restrictions.”

A full-time Disability Support Officer is also on campus to provide practical assistance, including advocacy services and counselling on the social, physical and emotional adjustments required to achieve a fulfilling university life.

Perhaps the most important support service is Murdoch’s Graduate Employment Strategy. The University has a full-time staff member focused on liaising with industry to keep an eye out for employment opportunities, for graduates with disabilities and to assist in the transition to the workplace.

“While most universities offer access and support for students, very few actively help graduates with finding a job – Murdoch does its utmost to ensure that the students with disabilities can not only enter and complete their degrees, but also find ways to move into their careers of choice,” said Professor Thomas.