International Day of People with Disability

On December 3rd each year, RMIT recognises International Day of People with Disability.

Around one in six people, or 4.4 million Australians, have disability. Not all disabilities are the same, and some disabilities are non-visible. These numbers are reflected within our RMIT Community.

Over 3000 RMIT students are registered with the Equitable Learning Service, the majority with non-visible conditions.

This is a significant opportunity to recognise and reflect. We spoke to an RMIT student and staff member about their experiences.

Ben Lambert – RMIT Student

RMIT student Ben Lambert.

Ben is a neurodivergent student, currently completing his Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity (MC232) here at RMIT. His experiences as a student differ from many of his peers.

“As a disabled person living in an ableist society, there are attitudes that you can’t help but internalise. Barriers that you just learn to put up with.”

“I am not a person with disability, I am a disabled person. That’s an important distinction because it’s not my problem, this is something that is inflicted upon me by a society that wasn’t built for people like me.”

On days of significance like International Day of People with Disability, Ben hopes to see a shift from awareness to appreciation and acceptance, for days such like this to have a true impact.

Ben notes there is still a long way to go when it comes to providing an inclusive and accessible student experience, and suggests an emphasis on a “team effort between the student and educators and other support people” as a starting point to address these issues.

RMIT Library’s Neurodiverse Study Sessions are a service that Ben noted as beneficial and encourages other neurodiverse students to attend.

These sessions were offered at the City and Bundoora campuses throughout 2023 and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants.

Without question the neurodivergent study sessions have been really great. Having a space where needs like mine are assumed to be the default; you walk in there and all the pressure just evaporates. You’re in your element and it’s a safe space.

“It’s a really great space for getting things done and focusing on your work.

“I was telling a few other neurodivergent students about that throughout the year and it took them by surprise they had no idea they existed. Keep an eye out for things like that.”

Associate Professor Brigid Magner – RMIT Educator

Photography of Associate Professor Brigid Magner standing outside on Bowen Street at RMIT City Campus near tables and chairs with trees in the background.

RMIT Associate Professor Brigid Magner.

One educator who has been prioritising incorporating accessibility into her classroom is Associate Professor Brigid Magner, who has been teaching at RMIT “for a couple of decades now”, working in literary studies in the school of media and communications.

“Recently I’ve been learning a lot more about research into neuro-affirming teaching, where you’re more open to the needs of students. Instead of seeing student needs in terms of deficits, you think about them in terms of strengths and what they can offer the class,” said Brigid.

Brigid has been working on ways to make the classroom more accessible to people with a range of different learning styles and needs including having an openness to difference and to allowing students to interrupt you and to ask for what they want, or to point something out about the way that you're teaching.

“For example, I'm really bad at digressing in classes, and that can sometimes be difficult for people when they want you to be sticking to a plan or a script.

So what I've been doing I suppose, is learning to recognize different ways that people manifest as students in the classroom and and how I can find out more about what they might need without being too confrontational in the way that I engage with them.

“As teachers we would like to hear from students about what they might need from a classroom, without needing to go into too much detail about their personal situation, whatever they feel comfortable with.

“Getting advice from a teacher about services that are available will make the path a lot smoother to graduation.

30 November 2023

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information

International Day of People with Disability