Disability Policy

The University of Waikato is firmly committed towards providing equity in education and welcomes students with disabilities into all areas of campus life.

The word "disability" is a very broad umbrella term which aims to include people experiencing temporary and permanent conditions, including physical mobility, medical and accident-related conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and learning disabilities.

A "reasonable accommodation" refers to a support provision or strategy which, when put in place, aims to minimise any disadvantage due to the impact of a disability. It is not the intention to advantage any one person over another, but rather to ensure students and staff with disabilities are placed on a more equitable level with others.

In 1997, The University of Waikato developed and adopted a Disability Policy. This policy was created to provide a focus on disability-related issues on campus. It is an accessible statement of intent for people with disabilities, and is a starting point for staff training, development and review of administration procedures throughout the University, and for planning and allocation of resources.

The five key areas of the Policy are that the University of Waikato will:

Endeavour to remove any physical access barriers to ensure our campus is as accessible as possible for students, staff and visitors with disabilities.
Seek to foster positive attitudes amongst students and staff towards people with disabilities.
Encourage the development and implementation of procedures to address the requirements of students and staff with disabilities across all areas of the University - each School, Division and other area to operate within the Disability Policy framework.
Provide reasonable accommodations in the form of teaching strategies, alternative assessments, and support assistance for students with disabilities in all aspects of academic programmes.
Advertise and promote the Disability Policy and procedures, and the provision of disability support within all areas of academic learning, research, and employment opportunities.

Back to the Disability Support Services home page.