Disability Support — How The University of Adelaide assists students
Studying at university can be overwhelming. You have to navigate your way to campus, or understand how your online study works, organise your classes, locate the best places to eat, score a study spot, and get to know your academics and peers.
It’s natural to feel stressed about starting a new chapter in life and you’re not alone. Thousands of others will be figuring out university too.
If you have a disability, ongoing health condition, are neurodivergent or have other accessibility needs you may be looking for some support to help you to feel in control to manage the demands of study along with these. This is where the University’s Disability Support team come in. They will listen to your situation and help you navigate the next steps by creating an Access Plan that considers your needs and helps you to communicate these with your academic staff.
How to get started
Register your information — you can take the first step by registering with the service. Your personal health information is treated confidentially, and the information you provide helps our Disability Advisors understand what you may need to support you in your studies. We refer to these as Reasonable Adjustments that are based on your specific needs. Some Reasonable Adjustments include deadline extensions for assignments, alternative room for exams, recording lectures, and access to adaptive technologies.
Once you are registered, Disability Support will contact you to arrange an appointment to meet with a Disability Advisor
Understand what a Disability Advisor can do for you
At the meeting, the Disability Advisor will discuss your situation and create an Access Plan for you.
An Access Plan is a document that:
- Outlines how your disability or health condition affects your studies, without disclosing your condition.
- Suggests Reasonable Adjustments to help with your studies.
Your academic staff will need to see your Access Plan to verify your requirements so they understand how your studies can be adjusted to help you settle in with confidence to achieve your goals.
Share your Access Plan with your academics
You can email your Access Plan to your academics. If you feel shy about communicating with your academics, let your Disability Advisor know and they can give you some email templates.
The best time to register is now
The start of each semester is the busiest time of the year for our Disability Advisors so use this opportunity to get in before the rush. This will save you stress later in the semester when assignments are due, and exams are commencing.
Article updated on 31 January 2025 by Jo.