Disability Standards for Education 2005

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 clarify the obligations of education and training providers, and seek to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.  The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the standards) were developed under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and came into effect in August 2005. The standards must be reviewed every five years, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Department. The Department of education skills and Employment has further information about the Disability Standards for Education 2005 review.

Students with disabilities the right to participate in educational courses and programs on the same basis as students without disability. This means a person with disability should have access to the same opportunities and choices in their education that are available to a person without disability. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (Cth 1992)  makes it against the law for an educational authority to discriminate against someone because that person has a disability.  This includes all public and private educational institutions, primary and secondary schools, and tertiary institutions such as TAFE, private colleges and universities.

The Disability Standards for Education (Cth 2005) was implemented to make more explicit the obligations of education and training service providers under the Disability Discrimination Act and the rights of people with disability in relation to education and training.