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Higher Education Disability Support Program

The Disability Support Program provides funding to eligible higher education providers to undertake activities that assist in removing barriers to access for students with disabilities. It consists of three components.

The objectives of the ASSD component of the program are to:
  • provide funding support to eligible higher education providers to assist with high costs incurred in providing educational support and/or equipment to students with disabilities with high cost needs; and
  • encourage efficient and effective use of equipment and resources to support students with disabilities.

Applications from eligible higher education providers for ASSD funding should be submitted on the application form:

The Australian Government provides funding under the Higher Education Disability Support Program to maintain the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) website  You are now leaving the DEST website.  ADCET is a comprehensive website that provides information and other resources designed to promote inclusive practices for people with a disability. The ADCET website is currently hosted by the University of Tasmania and can be accessed at http://www.adcet.edu.au/.  You are now leaving the DEST website

The objective of the Performance-Based Disability Support Funding component of the Disability Support Program is to encourage higher education providers to implement strategies to attract and support students with disabilities. 

In 2007, $1,316,169 was distributed across 39 Table A providers in accordance with the allocation formula set out in the Disability Support Program guidelines for the Performance-Based Disability Support Funding component.  

Performance-based Disability Support funding allocations 2007 

Table A Provider

Allocation

Charles Sturt University

$44,722

Macquarie University

$39,799

Southern Cross University

$21,688

University of New England

$35,134

University of New South Wales

$38,280

University of Newcastle

$53,292

The University of Sydney

$33,175

University of Technology, Sydney

$34,096

University of Western Sydney

$65,672

University of Wollongong

$65,107

Deakin University

$26,193

La Trobe University

$46,536

Monash University

$59,874

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

$41,974

Swinburne University of Technology

$15,758

The University of Melbourne

$48,574

University of Ballarat

$5,898

Victoria University

$15,988

Central Queensland University

$33,921

Griffith University

$56,128

James Cook University

$31,574

Queensland University of Technology

$63,911

The University of Queensland

$44,317

University of Southern Queensland

$24,466

University of the Sunshine Coast

$9,770

Curtin University of Technology

$26,851

Edith Cowan University

$16,798

Murdoch University

$30,571

The University of Western Australia

$32,735

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

$2,489

Charles Darwin University

$10,139

The Australian National University

$36,045

University of Canberra

$10,113

The Flinders University of South Australia

$35,304

The University of Adelaide

$27,884

University of South Australia

$77,020

Australian Maritime College

$862

University of Tasmania

$43,393

Australian Catholic University

$10,118

Total

$1,316,169

For further information see the Higher Education Equity Support Program guidelines You are now leaving the DEST website or email disability.support@deewr.gov.au.

National Disability Coordination Officer Program (NDCO)

The National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) Program replaces and expands the Regional Disability Liaison Officer Program (formerly a component of the Higher Education Disability Support program) and the Disability Coordination Officer Program.

The NDCO Program funds a national network consisting of 31 coordination officers. These officers provide information, coordination and referral services for people with a disability who are interested in, or enrolled in, post-school education and training.

Under the Program, funding of an additional $8.7 million will be provided over four years to assist people with a disability access post-school education and training. 

For more information visit the National Disability Coordination Officer page.