When working out whether an adjustment is reasonable the school will need to consider:

• The student’s disability
• The views of the student, given via consultation
• The effect of the proposed adjustment on the student
• The effect of the proposed adjustment on others in the school community e.g., other students and the student’s teachers
• The costs and benefits of making the adjustment

There may be some situations where a reasonable adjustment cannot be identified.

Refer to the DSE for guidance about reasonable adjustment.

Consultation with students and families

Consultation with a student, and, where appropriate, their parents or guardians, is mandated by the  Disability Standards for Education (DSE). It is a mechanism for giving a student with disability a voice in their own education, and, specifically, in the decision-making process around reasonable adjustment.

Consultation must occur upon enrolment and regularly throughout the duration of a student’s enrolment.

Making reasonable adjustments

Planning and implementing reasonable adjustment is difficult because the role of a classroom teacher is very busy. There may be one or more students with disability to adjust for, and many more students without disability whose educational needs cannot be neglected either.

Adjustments cannot be standardised for students with a particular kind of disability, such as autism, a hearing impairment, or a learning disorder. They need to be tailored to the particular circumstances of the student, and this may, of course, be time-consuming.

The DSE provide guidance about the factors relevant to determining whether an adjustment is reasonable. 

Requirements for enrolment and participation

If you are a classroom teacher, there may not be much you can do to change enrolment policies and practices at your school, or to implement programs to improve accessibility of school facilities. Nevertheless, it is important you are aware of the impact of the DSE in these areas so you are able to influence policies, practices and programs should the opportunity arise!

You can make a difference, however, when planning extra-curricular activities and excursions by aiming to make them inclusive.

Consider the following example.

A high school refused to take a student who used a wheelchair on an excursion to Tangalooma on Moreton Island, off the coast from Brisbane. The school was concerned the student would be at risk during the ferry trip to the excursion. The Tribunal found that other people had travelled to Tangalooma in wheelchairs without requiring adjustments and the student was awarded $3000 in damages. Essentially, the school had catastrophised the impact of the student’s wheelchair use rather than supporting her inclusion in the excursion.

• Do you take your students on excursions?
• What adjustments do you make for students with disability?

Implications for curriculum and support services

Teachers are in the business of promoting learning for their students. You are experienced in planning and implementing a wide range of learning activities. You are also experienced in administering assessment tasks so that your students can demonstrate their learning.

Implementing and assessing learning consistent with the DSE is the area where you have the most power to influence accessible education for your students with disability. Sometimes students require extra support so they can access learning.

The DSE recognise that specialist extra support may be necessary for some students so that they can participate in classroom learning activities.

Implementing reasonable adjustment in the classroom is a rewarding but challenging part of your job as a teacher. Can you come up with a ‘system’ for managing reasonable adjustment to learning activities and assessment in your classroom?

Areas of consideration:

• Learning activities 
  • What learning activities have finished that didn’t work well and will need adjustment next time? 
  • What learning activities are coming up that might need adjustment?
  • Can I make an adjustment to an activity so that it works for everyone? For example, could everyone make a video instead of performing in front of the class? Could a science experiment be done in pairs?
    • If not, how can the activity be adjusted for the student? 
    •  What would be a reasonable substitute activity? 
• Assessment
  • What assessment is coming up that will need to be adjusted?
  • What assessment has finished that didn’t work well for a student and will need to be adjusted next time?
  • Can I make an adjustment to the assessment that makes it accessible for all? For example, more time? Fewer tasks? Answer templates? 
    • If not, what adjustment can be made to make the assessment accessible for my student

Keeping records. 

• Have you thought about using speech to text software on your phone to speed up note-making?

Think about whether you need to talk to the student’s parents or guardians about your plans.

• Are you worried about the student?
• Have the parents asked to speak to you?

If necessary, schedule a consultation: face to face or virtual

• Is there any extra information that you need from the parents?
• Keep notes of what was agreed at the consultation
• Share a statement of what was agreed with the parents and student

Talk to other staff, ask for help.

• Can you set up a community of practice at your school? A weekly chat at morning tea to share ideas? 
• Colleagues who may be good sounding boards and may help you plan and implement adjustments include inclusion teachers or coaches, advisory visiting teachers and regional coaches, heads of inclusion services who have a sound understanding of the needs of diverse learners, to name a few.