How to register for disability assistance
Students with a diagnosed disabilities, medical conditions and/or mental health conditions are eligible for assistance from Disability Services, with provision of supporting medical documentation.
Page Index
- Who can receive assistance?
- How to register with Disability Services
- Medical documentation requirements
Who can receive assistance?
Any student with any disability or medical condition which is diagnosed by a doctor or other qualified health service provider and affects their studies is eligible for support through Disability Services.
The definition of a 'disability' is very broad. Common disabilities and medical conditions seen at university are:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
- learning disabilities
- medical problems such as chronic fatigue syndrome and epilepsy
- temporary disabilities such as fractures and back injuries
- vision and hearing impairments.
How to register with Disability Services
- Make an appointment with a Disability Advisor to discuss your situation and requirements. Phone appointments are available to students who cannot attend the Bentley campus
- In most cases you will have to provide recent medical documentation about your disability or medical condition
- Please advise us if you have any specific needs for the appointment, such as accessible parking, information in an alternative format or an Auslan interpreter.
Medical documentation requirements
Students who require disability support and 'reasonable adjustments' must provide the Disability Advisor with appropriate medical documentation. We require a letter or statement from an appropriately qualified health professional is required providing information about your disability/medical condition and how it impacts on your studies.
Medical certificates are generally not accepted.
Appropriately qualified health professionals include:
- General practitioners
- Medical specialists
- Psychologists
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Speech pathologists
- Social workers
- Optometrists
- Audiologists.
All documentation must be provided in English.
Currency of medical documentation
All medical documentation must meet the following currency requirements:
- For temporary or changing conditions, new documentation must be provided each semester
- For permanent conditions, documentation must be submitted initially and thereafter only if there is a change in the condition
- For learning disabilities, documentation must be dated within the past 3 years.
For more information, read the policy on medical documentation for students with a disability.
