Disability and education access: what a support worker learnt on campus
Accessibility and Education
By Rachael · Originally published 20 May 2021
Original article
Rachael is carer who is also studying to become a primary school teacher. She is passionate about inclusivity and access for all. This article was written in collaboration and with permission from the real Sophie who requested her name be changed for the article.
For the past two years, I have worked in the disability sector as a Community Participation Support Worker. I provide one-on-one support for a 24 year old woman who lives with Cerebral Palsy. Within a variety of settings (including education), I have witnessed a great many challenges that she has had to overcome in order to fully participate in society.
Over the time that I have been a support worker, my attitudes towards disability and accessibility have changed somewhat. When I first started assisting Sophie* in accessing her university education, one of the first things I realised was the limited number of accessible parking spaces there. I also became aware that the majority of buildings and facilities are inaccessible for someone in a large electric wheelchair.
The importance of accessibility
Originally I had thought the university to be accessible and simple to navigate, but I quickly realised the physical barriers present and the inflexibility of certain policies. The need to adjust the room or location of an event has been something that I have seen throughout my time with Sophie. There have been many experiences when the physical layout of a space has proven very difficult.
Also, the policy that all assessments must be submitted in hardcopy was specifically challenging. It meant that Sophie needed to make the long and sometimes complex journey to university, as opposed to allowing her to electronically submit an assessment. This made me understand the importance of support and flexibility within an educational context for people with disabilities, so that they can fully benefit from all educational opportunities.
Raising awareness
One particularly interesting experience with Sophie was when she delivered an awareness program on disability and what it is like to live with it. This experience further highlighted the physical barriers that people with disabilities can often encounter, and the need for Universal Design of buildings. The journey from the staff room to the hall took much longer than was expected, as the position of the accessible ramp meant we had to walk around the entire school before we could access the room.
Accessibility has been an ongoing difficulty and with time I have come to realise the importance of easy, intuitive access for people with disabilities.
The role of education
However, watching Sophie run the disability awareness campaign also illustrated the enormous role that education has to play in changing social attitudes towards disability. Designed for students in year five and six, it built on their understanding of disability and allowed them to ask Sophie questions in a safe, respectful and encouraging environment.
This allowed them to reflect on their own attitudes about disability, and what they thought would be most challenging for people with disabilities. They asked questions like ‘do you sleep in your wheelchair?’ and ‘can you write?’ or made statements like ‘it makes me sad to think you can’t walk’.
The ways in which Sophie responded allowed for further discussion about the nature of physical disabilities, and how important it is to celebrate what you can do – not what you can’t. The interaction between her and the students, as well as myself as the carer and the classroom teacher, reflected the ongoing need for students in the classroom to have open discussion about disability.
Students were also able to see the difficulty and time required for Sophie to get into the hall and how important it is to have ramps and other accessible facilities to make access simple for all.
Encouraging inclusion
The questions that students asked Sophie reinforced my developing attitude on the importance for parents, teachers, caregivers and wider society to encourage inclusion and acceptance where students are empowered to think and reflect about the challenges and opportunities that arise from having a disability.
As I continue to assist Sophie once a week, I am constantly reminded of the many factors that need to effectively work together to support and assist people with disabilities to allow them to fully participate in society. This includes having respectful and engaged support staff, being a part of an open and flexible educational system and having the opportunity to engage in open discussion about disability and finally, to be able to access all areas of society.
Clickability editorial update: September 2026
How support workers can act on the barriers described
Ask the student which barriers they want help documenting. A useful record identifies the place, the activity affected and the practical consequence, such as a route that makes arrival late or a submission method the person cannot use.
Agree on who will raise the issue and how you will follow up. Speak with the student rather than assuming they want you to explain on their behalf. Your assistance should make their preferences easier to act on, not turn an access conversation into a discussion between everyone else.
Do not quietly make an inaccessible system look workable by absorbing every extra task yourself. The Department of Education explains that the Disability Standards seek access and participation on the same basis as students without disability. Read the Standards overview.
What students can ask the access team to clarify
Ask who can address the particular barrier, what interim arrangement is possible and when it will be reviewed. Check how information about an agreed arrangement reaches the staff who need it. If moving rooms solves one class but creates a new travel barrier, explain that consequence too.
The original account shows why walking the route or testing a process matters. A policy can sound accessible while its everyday use is difficult. Bring your experience to the conversation and keep the agreed next steps in a format you can revisit.
Should a support worker speak for a student about access?
Ask the student how they want assistance. Help communicate their preferences using the method they choose, rather than assuming you should take over.
Is individual support a substitute for accessible education?
No. The education provider has obligations under the Disability Standards for Education. Discuss those arrangements alongside any personal support. Official guidance
Find support that follows your choices
If you need a support work provider alongside education, use Clickability to describe your needs and compare reviews and profiles. Keep the access conversation with your institution moving too.
