| Abstract: | In 1991, the Australian Government designated students with disabilities as one of the six equity groups that were under-represented
in higher education. Since that time, there has been only a modest increase in enrolments of students with disabilities despite
government polices and funding of disability support services and programs. People with disabilities comprise 20% of Australia’s
population but only account for 4% of university enrolments. Despite the existence of the Australian Disability Discrimination
Act (DDA) (1992) and the introduction of the Disability Standards for Education in 2005, negative attitudes about students
with disabilities by university lecturers continue to exist. Research into the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of staff,
especially in practice-based courses such as nurse education, reveals that university staff, practicum supervisors and even
some disability staff, are unaware of their responsibilities under the legislation and that teaching staff continue to hold
negative attitudes towards students with disabilities. This article reports on research that investigated the barriers facing
such students in nursing courses, in particular in clinical placements. It shows that a lack of understanding of legislative
and institutional requirements underlies negative attitudes about students with disabilities, especially in practicum-based
courses. |
