Annual Report 2007 - Department of Education and Communities ...

Appendixmeeting the needs of students and teachersaides.Section 2: AccessDepartmental staff identify and removeattitudinal, communication and physicalbarriers to entry and participation by peoplewith a disability in the education, trainingand employment opportunities offered by theDepartment.Achievements• The Department’s upgraded AssetManagement data base has enabled moreefficient planning to meet particular accessneeds of students with a physical disabilityenrolled in their neighbourhood schools.Coordinated forward planning involvingschool, regional and State Office personnelhas resulted in the majority of accessprovisions for students moving from primaryto high school being available from thebeginning of Term 1 at the new school.• OTEN, the specialist distance education andtraining provider of TAFE NSW, providedcourses for 2,856 students with a disability,1,131 of whom were enrolled at Certificate IIIlevel or above.StrategiesWe facilitated access to information and toequitable educational programs by:• providing parent information sessions aboutthe transition to school process and optionsfor support for children with a disability inearly intervention programs• allocating approximately $1 million forthe 2008-09 financial year to the OfficeAccommodation Strategy to providedisabled access and accessible toilets atnine regional and metropolitan School AreaOffices• increasing access by providing 10,700disability assistance and note-taking hours;8,250 sign language interpreting hours; and23,400 tutorial hours for registered studentswith disabilities in mainstream courses(South Western Sydney Institute)• providing improved access to programs andfacilities at the National Art School throughthe installation of two new lifts, hearingloops, and raised dots before stairs for thevisually impaired. Reasonable adjustmentsmade for students and staff includereallocation of studios/offices to groundfloor level, parking spaces on campus, andrecording of lectures for a student with aphysical difficulty• providing training in disability work aspart of the Strategic Skills Program in theHealth and Community Services industry, toaddress skill shortages in priority industriesand support participation by people facingbarriers to entering or re-entering theworkforce or training.Challenges and future directions• Monitor new regional models of servicedelivery including increased outreachteacher model, behaviour services and noncategoricalsupport class models.• Develop E-learning strategies focusingon new adaptive technologies to promoteflexible learning and delivery to increaseparticipation rates of people with a disability.• Develop the Classroom Teacher Programto provide flexible access for teachers witha disability to professional learning, alignedto the professional teaching standardsenabling achievement and maintenanceof accreditation with the NSW Institute ofTeachers.• Consolidate the understanding and inclusionof disability awareness in recruitment andemployment guidelines produced or updatedacross the Department.Section 3: ParticipationStudents, staff and customers with a disabilityhave the same opportunities as other peopleto take advantage of the range of education,training and employment opportunitiesprovided by the Department and its fundedorganisations.Achievements• A TAFE Vocational Education and Training(TVET) student with a hearing impairment,enrolled in a distance education course,was awarded the Prime Minister’s SkillsExcellence Award.• School students with a disability wereenrolled in special schools (4,278), supportclasses (12,568) or in regular classes withintegration funding support (more than14,000).• Schools enrolled 4,947 students with adisability in the School Swimming Schemewith 47 special schools participating and 521primary schools; up from 471 in the previousyear.NSW Department of Education and Training - Annual Report 2007 87