Notes from the Meeting of the Steering Committee on Accessible Curricular Materials For Universities
Friday November 1, 2002
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
1. Welcome
Graeme Innes, Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner, welcomed the Steering Committee on behalf of Dr Sev Ozdowski. He said that the Committee is welcome to have future meetings at the Commission's Sydney offices if it wishes to do so.
2.Roll call, apologies, and arrangements for the meeting
Present:
Prof. Sue Johnson (Chair): Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning),
University of Tasmania
Conor king: Director, AVCC Policy and Coordination, Australian Vice-Chancellors'
Committee (AVCC)
Anna Mungovan: Tertiary Education Disability Council of Australia (TEDCA)
Collette O'Neill: National Policy Officer, Blind Citizens Australia (BCA)
Jane Evans: Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities
Inc.
Liz Tchacos: Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
Bernadette McDonald: Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
Graeme Innes: Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission
Bruce Maguire: Policy Officer, Disability Rights Unit, Human Rights and
Equal Opportunity Commission
Apologies:
Dr Kerri Allen: Dr Kerri Allen: Chair, Disability Advisory Group, The University of South Australia
3. Acceptance of the agenda
The agenda was accepted as circulated.
4. The Steering Committee
a. Background
The Chair outlined the background to the formation of the Steering Committee.
It was formed following the HREOC Forum on Accessible
Curricular Materials held in May 2002, in order to provide a mechanism
for addressing the recommendations that were developed by the forum.
b. Name
It was agreed that the name of the Steering Committee would be "Steering Committee on Accessible Curricular Materials for Universities".
c. Membership
There was discussion about the desirability and feasibility of including representation from the VET sector, but it was agreed that at this stage any expansion of the Committee may have an adverse effect on the speed of progress. It was noted, however, that this decision in no way implies that there are fewer or less significant issues that confront the VET sector in providing accessible materials for students with print disabilities. It was further noted that notes of meetings of the Steering Committee would be publicly available through the HREOC website.
A request had been received from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department to be placed on the email distribution list for materials related to the work of the Steering Committee, but at this state the Department did not wish to become a formal member of the Committee.
The membership of the Steering Committee was thus confirmed as:
i. Chair: Prof. Sue Johnston: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning), University of Tasmania
ii. HREOC:
1. Graeme Innes: Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner
2. Bruce Maguire: Policy/Project Officer, Disability Rights Unit
iii. Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee:
iv. Other Higher Education Representative:
1. Dr Kerri Allen: Chair, Disability Advisory Group, The University of
South Australia
v. Other Sector Representation:
1. Blind Citizens Australia (BCA)
2. Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities
Inc.
3. Tertiary Education Disability Council of Australia (TEDCA)
4. Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
d. Secretariat support:
Secretariat support will be provided by AVCC
e. Purpose and Terms of Reference
Terms of reference were circulated. Discussion stressed the importance of achievements and outcomes, and the need for the Committee to divide the work to be done among a number of working groups dealing with specific areas. Structures must be flexible enough to serve the purposes for which the Committee was established.
f. Decision-making and voting
It was agreed that decision-making will be via consensus, as this provides the most effective way of ensuring that there will be commitment to and support for the Committee's decisions.
g. Duration
The Committee agreed that a focus on outcomes implies that the Committee should not believe itself to have, nor be seen as having, an indefinite life. The Committee was established for a specific purpose, and once that purpose has been achieved, there may be no further value to be gained by retaining the Committee. For the moment, however, it was agreed that the Committee would review its progress at the end of 2003, at which time it will be possible to assess the achievements to date and the issues that are still outstanding.
h. Reporting
Decisions of the Committee will be conveyed in the notes of meetings, which will be posted on the HREOC website and emailed to committee members and those who participated in the Forum on Accessible Curricular Materials.
5. Developments since the forum:
Each member to give a verbal report about events and activities that have occurred in their organization since the forum and which are relevant to the work of the Steering Committee.
AVCC noted that the report of the Senate Inquiry on Higher Education would be published in December, as would the report of the Senate Inquiry into the Education of Children with a Disability. AVCC had included references to access and equity in its submission to the Review.
DEST reported that a number of higher education institutions had made claims under the Additional Support for Students with Disabilities program, but that some had not done so because they did not provide high cost support to students during the funding period and/or did not have records in place in time to make a claim. A proposal to research the current demand for materials by students with a print disability had been submitted and it was hoped that a decision on available funding would be made soon.
BCA noted that it was receiving increasing numbers of complaints from students at universities in relation to alleged discrimination in the provision of materials in accessible formats. It was clear that some institutions were making more adequate provision than others.
TEDCA reported that there had been a positive response among members to the establishment of this Steering Committee, and that the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) had also communicated their interest in monitoring the Committee's progress.
Graeme Innes made reference to the complaint against the University of Melbourne by a blind student who had alleged that he had been discriminated against because of the university's failure to provide him with accessible material in a timely way. The complaint did not conciliate, and proceeded to the Federal Court. HREOC has requested leave of the Court to appear as an Amicus Curiae ("Friend of the Court"), which would give it an opportunity to highlight relevant sections of the DDA and their applicability to the specific issues raised in the complaint. [Note that since the meeting of the Steering Committee, this complaint was settled through mediation, and HREOC therefore did not make submissions to the court in relation to the complaint.]
6. Discussion of recommendations from forum on accessible tertiary materials
See attached list of recommendations:
a. General: prioritisation, establishment, tasking, and resourcing of Working Groups
Discussion focused on the need for recommendations to be prioritised,
either by the Committee or the various working groups, to reflect the
reality that some recommendations can be implemented relatively quickly,
while others will need considerable preparatory work. An important guiding
factor in the mapping of priorities is a vision of the "endstate"
or goal that is to be achieved. In considering the various sets of recommendations,
it is thus necessary for the working groups to develop shared goals and
then locate the recommendations in the context of these goals.
b. Production
Jane Evans was appointed Convenor of a working group to examine the recommendations relating to production.
TEDCA also agreed to compile a register of producers of accessible-format
materials
used by the higher Education sector. This will include university and
external producers.
c. Copyright and Publishing
HREOC will co-ordinate the establishment of an ongoing consultative mechanism involving universities, copyright collecting bodies, publishers, government, and the disability sector, to consider the recommendations relating to copyright, publishing, and digital information.
d. Policies and Procedures
Following considerable discussion, the Committee agreed to establish a working group convened by AVCC to draft a list of desired outcomes for students with print disabilities. In developing this list, the group should consider current practices, standards and policies, and identify gaps between them and what is desirable.
e. Digital information
(See above under Copyright and Publishing)
f. Standards, and Guidelines
(See d. above).
7. Celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the DDA (March 2003)
HREOC will be producing a book highlighting achievements made in the
10 years since the DDA was introduced. Members were encouraged to work
through their organisations to mark the 10th anniversary of the DDA in
an appropriate way.
8. Future meetings:
a. Frequency
Frequency of meetings would depend on progress. Tuesday February 18 was suggested as the date for the next meeting, and Melbourne was suggested as the venue. It was acknowledged that some meetings may be held by teleconference.
b. Venue
Sydney or Melbourne are the most convenient for face-to-face meetings.
c. Funding
AVCC agreed to fund any teleconferences that might be necessary.
