A co-designed tool to gather data from students with disability about their experiences in tertiary education: Insights from Australia

Abstract

A small internal investigation by the University of Queensland (UQ) Union Disability Collective resulted in a student-led project supported by academics across three Australian universities. The project seeks to gain new insights into the experience of students with disabilities studying at Australian universities. Universities conduct disability surveys from time to time, but these tend to be forgotten as time passes and priorities change. This project involved the co-design and development of a survey, using qualitative and quantitative questions, to investigate students’ experiences, including of barriers to education and participation in the Australian tertiary (or post-secondary) sector. This is planned to be the first of several research projects to transparently and accountably track issues faced by disabled tertiary students, and what is working to improve education outcomes and reduce discrimination. The survey has been piloted with UQ students with a view to roll it out to other universities. This paper focuses on the survey instrument and describes the project’s formation and development. It also identifies challenges that have arisen in the process and future directions.