Episode 2: Universities and the Disability Discrimination Act

The Disability Discrimination Act review is happening right now - and it could fundamentally change how disability rights work in Australian universities. But only if the sector actually gets involved.

In this episode, Ebe unpacks four game-changing reforms proposed in the DDA review and why every person in our sector needs to engage with this once-in-a-generation opportunity for change.

What you'll learn

• How universities have historically been absent from disability law reform conversations
• Four key areas of DDA reform that could transform university experiences for staff and students with disability
• How a positive duty framework could incentivise proactive inclusion rather than reactive crisis management
• Why removing 'reasonable' as a qualifier for adjustments matters
• How inherent requirements are being misused as tools of exclusion
• Why disability action plans currently function as "insurance policies" rather than accountability tools
• The cost of inaction - and why proactive inclusion is more efficient than the current system

Get involved in the DDA review

• DDA Review Issues Paper - Attorney-General's Department
• DDA Review consultation page - Australian Human Rights Commission

Background reading

• Why the university sector must engage with the Disability Discrimination Act review - Ebe's original Substack post that sparked this episode
• Disability Standards for Education 2005 - Department of Education

Support the show

For students who want to transform their universities. For staff ready to build genuinely inclusive systems. For academics and professionals who think big about what Australian higher education could become.

Ready to raise the bar?

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Full transcript: Available at higherhopespod.com

Produced on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples.