‘We all want to belong here’: learn about inclusion and disability in our new online unit
We want all Deakin students to feel included. Among our vibrant community, many thousands of you are living with health conditions and/or disability that can impact your studies.
People with disabilities often face additional barriers than others. Disability may affect your ability to access physical spaces, communicate effectively, participate in social activities and perform certain tasks.
That’s why we offer disability support services to promote inclusion and provide help where it’s needed.
Whether you’re one of our students who manages a health condition or disability, or you’re keen to learn more about how to make our university community more inclusive, we encourage you to complete our new Belong at Deakin online module.
In the module, Deakin students – including Maddie Fogarty – share how their lived experience of disability affects their uni life and why knowledge is power for all of us:
‘Being involved in this module was such a delight and positive step forward for inclusivity. Lived experience is key for disability advocacy and education. This module allows our voices and stories to be heard, and for non-disabled people to gain a deeper and authentic insight into our experiences. Whether you are a person with a disability or not, there is something in this module to benefit everyone.‘
Why it’s important
Completing the module will help you to:
- know what support is available at Deakin for people with disability and how to confidently access it – whether for yourself or to help others
- better understand the experiences of people with disability
- gain valuable knowledge about disability inclusion, and legal rights and responsibilities.
There’s six topics, which should take you about 20 minutes to complete – but there’s no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. Once you get to the end, you check a box to trigger a completion email and receive your certificate of completion.
A future employer will also value this kind of knowledge – after you complete the module, put it on your CV and LinkedIn profile.
Who should complete the module?
Everyone! While it’s voluntary and doesn’t have any credit points attached, we encourage all students to spend 20 minutes educating themselves on these important issues.
If this is your first trimester at Deakin, we suggest you do the module early in the trimester. But it will be available year-round, so you can access it any time that suits.
Access the module now. While you’re there, you’ll see another module called ‘Respect at Deakin’, which talks about issues like consent, diversity and gender equality. This is another short unit that’s well worth your time and will look great on your CV!
Does disability or a health condition affect your uni life?
If disability, health or mental health affects your studies and participation in university life, find the information, services and support you need from Deakin’s Disability Resource Centre. You can also read how our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2021–25 guides our approach to disability.
If you have a request or idea for further disability support at Deakin, we’d love to hear it! Just email [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.
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