There are many types of support, financial support – such as study allowance and scholarships, in-class support – such as interpreters, note takers and live captioning and other forms of support.
After you enrol your first step should be contacting the Disability Liaison Officer, so you can get information about the support you need.
To learn more about your rights in education, click here.
Literacy, numeracy and study support
Did you know that most TAFEs provide their students with study support services? Find out what your TAFE can offer you.
Pre-training literacy and numeracy assessment
Did you know that before you can start a new course at TAFE or an RTO, most students need to complete a pre-training literacy and numeracy assessment? Watch the video below to understand the aim of this assessment and how it can help you as a student.
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Disability Liaison Officer
What is a Disability Liaison Officer?
For the English transcript, please click here.
The Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) helps organise support for any student who has a disability. All TAFEs and universities have a DLO or a similar position. Private training colleges may not have a specific DLO but they will have staff working in student services or enrolments to support students with a disability.
It is a good idea for you to ask for the name and contact details of the DLO before you enrol. Contact the DLO and organise a time to meet them to talk about the support they can give you. This will help you to decide which course or training provider is right for you. It will also mean that the DLO can start organising the support you need early. It can be very hard to book Auslan interpreters so the more notice the DLO has, the easier it is for them to organise this support.
After you have enrolled, you will be in regular contact with your DLO. It is therefore useful to build up a good working relationship. The Disability Liaison Officer will discuss what support is available and organise your Learning Access Plan (LAP) to give to your teachers. They are there to support you.
Disability Liaison Officer discusses support services (CC)
Disability Liaison Officer (DLO)’s role and duties:
- make sure that the training organisation provides a suitable environment for teaching and learning for students with a disability;
- make sure students are not discriminated against or harassed;
- work closely with students who need support, so they can participate fully in their studies and campus life;
- help students and teachers develop reasonable adjustments (changes). For example, giving student an extra 30 minutes of exam time; and
- resolve any issues that may come up.
Click here for more information about DLO.
What are student services?
For the English transcript, please click here.
Support for your classes
Most TAFEs, colleges and universities are now using a student support service called Studiosity:
To check if your TAFE, college or university provides support through Studiosity, visit their website: https://www.studiosity.com/service/access
In class support
You can ask your TAFE, college or university for support that suits your needs in the classroom. You can also change support at any time during your study. This includes requesting a different interpreter, notetaker or even changing classrooms.
Here is Julia, explaining how she talks with her interpreters and with her DLO about her communication needs.
For an English transcript of the above video, please click here
Sophie also shares what she looks for when she is working with an interpreter.
For an English transcript of the above video, please click here: Working with interpreters transcript 2.
It is important to remember that educational institutions may not be able to offer every type of support that you may need. Therefore, it is important for you to meet with a Disability Liaison Officer to discuss what support is available before you enrol.
In the Classroom (CC)
Students share their experiences (CC)
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Equity Grants
Many TAFEs, private colleges and universities offer small disability and access scholarships for students who experience any of the following:
- disadvantaged financial background
- under-represented schools
- difficult circumstances
- disability or medical condition
- recognition as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- non-English speaking background
- mature-age consideration
Contact the Student Centre at your educational institution for more information.
University Scholarships
If you have received good marks for your previous study at school or university, you are able to apply for scholarships offered by educational institutions.
Many TAFEs and universities offer scholarships so it is worth having a look to see what is available on their website.
Click here to see a list of TAFE Scholarships on the TAFE Directors Australia website. You can also contact the Scholarships Office or Student Services at the institution where you are enrolled.
You can click here to see the StudyAssist website for a list of scholarships available at these universities. You can also contact the Scholarships Office or Student Services at the institution where you are enrolled.
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Scholarships for Deaf Students
Graeme Clark Award for STEM Innovation
Established by the Graeme Clark Foundation, the Graeme Clark Award for STEM (Science, Maths, Engineering and Mathematics) Innovation celebrates and acknowledges science innovation in Victorian schools.
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Other Scholarship Opportunities
There are many scholarships available. Students anywhere in Australia can apply for the scholarships listed below. New opportunities are always coming up, so have a look on-line and let us know if you find anything that you think we should list here!
Australian Disability and Indigenous People’s Education Fund
Disability Scholarship Program – Law, Criminology, Para-legal, Psychology, Social Work
Mary Jane Lewis Scholarship – Women only
Youth Off the Street Scholarship
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Support yourself
Paid work
Many students support their study by working part-time or on a casual basis. Click here to go to the Work section for more ideas and information.
Other Support
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Career Counsellor at your school, college, TAFE or University
You might ask for help from a career counsellor if:
- You are planning to do work experience
- You are thinking about what subjects to study in Year 11 and 12
- You are trying to decide what course to study
- You just left your job
- You are trying to get back into work after being unemployed
- You are thinking about changing careers
- You are struggling with your work/life balance
Click here to see more information about Career Counsellors.
Career Education Association of Victoria (CEAV) offers career counselling for individuals and groups in Victoria.
National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) Program
NDCO has resources about preparing for TAFE and higher education for students in Victoria.
Click here to go the website.
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Visit Expos
There are a several career and study expos every year. Most TAFEs, private colleges and universities have staff at these expos so you can talk to them. Below are some of the major expos:
Build a Support Network
You can also chat with people who you trust for advice and support. These people can include:
- friends
- family members
- teachers
- mentors
- other adults you trust
Government Study Support
Click here to go to Government Study Support
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Do you have a question?
Or do you want to improve this page?
Send us a message!
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