Access and Equity Guide:

Registered Training Organisations

Department of Education Equity Standards Branch

Table of Contents

WHAT IS EQUITY? WHAT ARE EQUITY GROUPS? WHAT IS DIVERSITY? WHAT IS ACCESS AND EQUITY? WHAT IS DISCRIMINATION? WHAT IS DIRECT AND INDIRECT DISCRIMINATION? WHAT IS STEREOTYPING? WHAT IS PREJUDICE? WHAT IS HARASSMENT? CAUSES FOR CONCERN BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION SUPPORTING EQUITY GROUPS MYTHS AND FACTS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES ROLE OF THE RTO LEARNER RIGHTS WHAT IS AN EQUITABLE RTO NATIONAL PLANS AND BLUEPRINTS ACTIVITIES RESOURCE LIST ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FURTHER DETAILS

1 1 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 9 12 13 14 14 16 23 1 1

DISCLAIMER This guide does not in any way guarantee compliance to the Australian Qualifications Training Framework - Standards for Registered Training Organisations. The Department makes this material available on the understanding that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Before relying on the material in any important matter users should carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information for their purposes and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.

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Introduction
This guide aims to provide information about the needs of people from equity groups. It contains information and resources that Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) may find useful in addressing their responsibilities in the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) to people from equity groups. While this guide does not provide all possible information about people from equity groups, it does provide some ideas, practical suggestions and activities that organisations can undertake to foster an inclusive environment. This guide encourages all Registered Training Organisations to review their current workplace practices and challenges them to work in an inclusive way.

What is Equity?
Equity is about ensuring that all people have the supports that they need to access, participate and achieve to the same level. Equity is not the same as Equal Opportunity which is about making sure that people are not discriminated against and treated unfairly on the basis of difference. Equal opportunity focus on everyone having an equal start whilst equity focuses on participation and achievement to an equal level.

What are Equity Groups?

In the past certain groups of people were actively not included in education and training programs. Sometimes it was a deliberate exclusion whilst others were based on misunderstanding or lack of forethought. Historically these groups became known as equity groups in order to highlight their situations and address the disadvantage they clearly experienced and continue to experience today. Some groups of people are still under represented in vocational programs and employment. These groups include: Women, Aboriginal people, People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, People with disabilities, People living in rural and remote areas, People without adequate literacy and numeracy skills, Offenders (including young offenders) and prisoners, People of low socio-economic status, and Unemployed people aged over 45 years. However it needs to be remembered that none of these groups is homogenous and there will be members of these groups who do not experience any disadvantage while others will experience multiple levels of disadvantage.

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What is Diversity?
Diversity is the recognising and valuing of individual differences. Accommodation of diversity has the potential to introduce new perspectives, highlight and challenge conventional approaches and stimulate creativity and innovation. If we dont offer all people the opportunity to develop and use their skills and abilities then we are denying the community access to much needed resources. Training organisations need to move beyond focusing on legislative responsibilities to an approach that focuses on recognising, respecting and valuing a range of social and cultural differences amongst client groups which allows increased access, participation and achievement Registered Training Organisations which welcome and value diversity support a vocational education and training system that reflects the diversity of the community that it serves and the development of a competitive, skilled and diverse labour market which directly benefits industry.

What is Access and Equity?

Access and Equity is about removing barriers and opening up opportunities. In training it means ensuring that people with differing needs and abilities have the same opportunities to successfully gain skills, knowledge and experience through education and training irrespective of their age, disability, colour, race, gender, religion, sexuality, family responsibilities, or location. It means identifying and addressing the training needs of everyone.

What is Discrimination?
Discrimination is treating a person unfairly or less favourably because they belong to a particular group or category of people. It can be either direct or indirect, and to act in this way is breaking the law.

What is Direct and Indirect Discrimination?

Direct Discrimination
Direct Discrimination is when a person is treated less favorably than another in the same or similar circumstances. Examples of direct discrimination could be: refusal to accept a student based on their sexual preference, or giving preference to an applicant who wears western style clothes over a person wearing the hijab or turban.

Indirect Discrimination
Indirect discrimination is treatment that appears on the surface to be fair or neutral, but which has an unequal effect on people. Some examples of indirect discrimination could be: requiring written assessments in English, where fluency in English is not essential,

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provision of information sessions where only a written format is provided when a learner with a vision impairment is part of the session, or work placements that do not to allow breaks for religious observance.

What is Stereotyping?
Stereotyping is when a generalised image of people in a particular group is promoted. For example, immediately assuming that a person with a disability must be a person who needs a wheelchair to enable them to move around.

What is Prejudice?
Prejudice is a preconceived idea or attitude often sustained by over generalisation.

What is Harassment?
Harassment is persecution or bullying based on issues such as sex, gender, race, sexual preference, impairment, marital status, pregnancy, parental status or religion.

Causes for Concern

Although people from some equity groups are represented in VET at a percentage close to their representation in the community, it is likely that they are: 1. Over-represented in: access and non-vocational courses, Certificates I & II levels, and statistics for long-term unemployed. 2. Under-represented in: the labour force management roles, and completion and success rates in courses and programs they undertake.

Barriers to Participation
There are a number of barriers to participation that people from equity groups may experience. Some of these can be common to people from different equity groups, whilst others are more specifically experienced by a single group of people. However barriers may be compounded when people fit into one or more equity groups. Barriers may be associated with the training itself, or with the personal circumstances of the individual. Some of these are grouped below.

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Barriers for women may include:

Low levels of formal educational achievement, Lack of disposable income, Lack of self confidence, and Family responsibilities and lack of appropriate childcare

Barriers for Aboriginal people could include:

Language, Low levels of formal educational achievement, Racism, Low socio-economic status, Low language, literacy and numeracy skills, Inappropriate training environments, High arrest and imprisonment rates, and Barriers associated with living in rural and remote areas

Barriers for people with disabilities could include:

Lack of awareness of inclusive training practices, Attitudes of the community, training providers and employers, Physical access to training venues, Lack of personal support funding, and Training environment.

Barriers for people from a non- English speaking background could include:
Language, Racism, Emotional barriers, Lack of appropriate childcare, Lack of awareness of inclusive training practices, and Inflexible programming of courses.

Barriers for people from a rural and remote area could include:
Low grade facilities and lack of other resources (staff, accommodation, transport and equipment), Lack of childcare, Lack of information Lack of continuity of programs in rural areas, and Low socio-economic status.

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Supporting Equity Groups

How can Registered Training Organisations assist people from equity groups?
An inclusive environment does not exclude or just tolerate difference, it recognises it as an opportunity to enrich and extend opportunities for all. There are a number of aspects of the learning environment from physical access through to assessment strategies that need to be considered. Flexibility, mutual respect, communication and willingness to adapt are all critical factors. Most learners dont want to be singled out or over protected. They just want access to services which will enable them to participate and achieve success in their training. Revising perceptions and attitudes is the first step in including all learners. Some of the things that a Registered Training Organisation should consider when addressing support for specific groups of people could be: provision of a welcoming and supportive environment, questioning by the trainer or assessor in an appropriate way so that the learner will not be upset or offended, offering flexibility in training and assessment, diversity in recruitment and selection, consulting the local equity group support services, willingness to change current practice, and clarifying the facts about an individuals needs.

Myths and Facts

There are a number of misunderstandings that should be clarified when planning for people from equity groups.

Myth:
Equity means that everyone should be treated the same so learners who are members of equity groups are not entitled to support services.

Fact:
Everyone should be able to achieve their full potential. Provision of support services may enable a learner to participate in the same way as another who does not need that support. Support services to assist learners with tasks such as reading and processing information, conducting research, preparing assignments, and performing manual procedures may be essential to achieving success.

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Myth:
Learners with disabilities are more likely to drop out of courses than other learners, even when given support.

Fact:
Learners with disabilities withdraw from study or training courses for the same range of reasons as other learners, but they are no more likely to do so. Recent statistics from the University of Tasmania, demonstrate that learners who have access to required services are less likely to withdraw than learners who do not have a disability.

Myth:
Learners from cultural diverse backgrounds are too time consuming and their needs are too difficult to cater for in a training environment.

Fact:
Learners from culturally diverse backgrounds are often highly motivated to attend training and overcome any barriers they may encounter during their participation. They are often very well organised and experienced in finding solutions to problems.

Myth:
Learners with disabilities create substantial costs through the need to provide extra equipment and additional staff time.

Fact:
Not all learners with disabilities will require assistive equipment or additional learning support staff. Site modifications, if necessary, are often simple and low cost.

Myth:
Women with young children are better off if they study through external courses.

Fact:
Learning alone restricts opportunities for interaction in a stimulating social, intellectual and learning climate. Most learners need a range of opportunities for interaction during their learning.

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Legal Responsibilities
All VET trainers have a legal responsibility to ensure that discrimination does not occur. Over the past thirty years legislative changes have occurred throughout Australia aimed at improving services for people who are members of equity groups. Legislation which provides protection against discrimination includes:

Tasmanian State Legislation

The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 outlaws discrimination on any of the following attributes or identities: age, breastfeeding, disability, family responsibilities, gender/sex, industrial activity, irrelevant criminal record, irrelevant medical record, lawful sexual activity, marital status, parental status, political activity, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy, race, religious activity, religious belief or affiliation, sexual orientation, association with a person who has, or is believed to have, any of these attributes or identities.

Commonwealth Legislation:
Racial Discrimination Act 1975 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 Disability Discrimination Act 1992 Racial Hatred Amendment 1995.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992

The Disability Discrimination Act aims to eliminate, as far as possible discrimination on the grounds of a disability in areas of education, access to public premises, and employment. The definition of a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act is broad and includes physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, learning, neurological, physical disfigurement and the presence in the body of disease causing organisms. All staff members employed by a training organisation have a responsibility to ensure that learners do not experience discrimination. Under the DDA, training providers are obliged to: Ensure learners with disabilities are not unlawfully discriminated against when seeking to enrol in a course of study, Negotiate and implement any adjustments necessary to enable learners with disabilities to participate in a course to the same extent as other learners, and Ensure assessment procedures and methods are adapted to enable learners with disabilities to demonstrate the knowledge, skills or competencies being assessed. For more information the website address is http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/wai-site-comments/2002Jun/att-0000/australia.htm

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The Disability Standards for Education 2003

The Disability Standards for Education 2003 were formulated under the DDA to clarify and elaborate on the legal obligation in relation to education in relation to enrolment and participation in education, training and educational services.

Reasonable Adjustment
Under the DDA it is expected that training organisations will sometimes need to make adjustments to ensure equal opportunity for students with disabilities. The nature of reasonable adjustments is such that they are designed to minimise the disadvantage experienced by learners with a disability, rather than provide learners with a competitive advantage. This can include administrative, physical or procedural modifications. On the next page are some examples of how reasonable adjustment in training and assessment might be made:

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Disability Hearing Vision

Example of reasonable adjustment Information presented visually and interpreted response via sign language Consider E-mail or SMS responses. Aural information and aural response, high colour contrast or font size use of magnifying glasses or large computer screens voice recognition software Ramps and lower desks Computerized communication devices physical assistance with physical tasks teamwork to overcome physical limitations. physical prompts and signs colour coding digital photos voice recognition software responses use of person to scribe responses talking calculators and spell checkers use of a person to coach through the assessment give options for assessment, limit distractions reduce interpersonal or social demands of assessment tasks (e.g. teamwork). adapt the assessment to the student's special interest (e.g. maths calculations involving bus timetables) consider E-mail or SMS responses multiple short tests or allow rest periods, limit distractions coordinate with medication regime e.g. 20 minutes after medication self-paced assessment, learning contracts negotiated not in an exam situation. coach to reduce anxiety motivational issues training and assessment is linked and highly structured. coordinate assessments with optimum performance in line with medication regime ( time of day, after food and medication) consider highs and lows of Bi-polar use of graphics and photos to augment the written word, colour coding voice recognition software, consider maths anxiety ( too many numbers, e.g. 1,298,456.09 + 2,347,987.34 reduce to 129 + 234)

Physical

Intellectual

Autistic Spectrum

ADHD

Stress/anxiety

Depression/ mental disorders

Dyslexia/ Dyscalculia

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Under the DDA, training providers have the opportunity to claim that reasonable adjustments to accommodate needs of a person with a disability would impose unjustifiable hardship.

Unjustifiable hardship
The DDA does not require training organisations to admit a student when the services and supports needed by that student would cause unjustifiable hardship to the organisation. Whether or not the adjustments that a learner with a disability requires pose unjustifiable hardship for a Registered Training Organisation will depend on the circumstances of the case. It will be decided on a case by case basis keeping in mind the intent of the DDA. No single factor alone is likely to constitute unjustifiable hardship. All relevant factors must be weighed up to see if, in all the circumstances, there is unjustifiable hardship.

Disclosure
Some disabilities are not visible or obvious and may be referred to as hidden disabilities. These may include mental illnesses and psychiatric disabilities. It is the right of a person with a disability to decide who and when to tell about their disability. It may be appropriate to speak to the student privately if you believe that there is a problem. Diagnosis and treatment should be left to the appropriate personnel but is good to investigate and understand the facts about psychiatric disability and not to make prejudgments or assumptions. All people pass through a selection process to gain entry to a course. Selection criteria should only relate to the core components of the course. The DDA is not intended to provide students with a disability with an advantage for entering training. It is to eliminate disadvantage and discrimination. Generally, ability to be employed in the area of the course of study should not be a requirement of selection. A website at www.uws.edu.au/rdlo/disclosure called Choosing Your Path Disclosure: Its a Personal Decision will give more information on this issue.

Role of the RTO

It is important to remember the following points: do not make assumptions, treat every person on an individual basis, do not assume that all people from an equity group require identical support as many people are skilled at adapting their environment to accommodate their needs (often the solutions to their needs are simple and inexpensive), consult individuals about their needs before requesting or implementing adjustments, and only ask for the information that you really need. For example what adjustments the person requires or how the disability might impact on their study.

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Learner Rights
Any learner who feels that they have been discriminated against can lodge a complaint with the Tasmanian (Anti Discrimination) Commissioner or the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). Complaints can be taken to the Federal court if settlement is not achieved. HREOC can provide advice about the procedure for doing this. Further information about the Tasmanian Anti-discrimination Act or the complaints process is available by contacting the Anti-Discrimination Commission Tasmania GPO Box 197 Hobart 7001 Tasmania Phone: (03) 6224 4905 or 1800 632 Any person in a Registered Training Organisation and any body or establishment responsible for the control of the training organisation could have a complaint brought against them under the DDA (eg. front counter staff, individual lecturers, Program Managers, Managing Director, members of College Governing Councils). Settlement may include: an apology, an agreement to enrol a learner with a disability, an assurance that learners with disabilities will not be treated in a certain unfavourable way in the future, or compensation. Should a complaint proceed to the Federal Court, the training provider would need to show why reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of the person with a disability impose an unjustifiable hardship. Further information about the Disability Discrimination Act or the complaints process is available on the HREOC web site at www.hreoc.gov.au

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What is an equitable RTO

An equitable RTO will
Create positive images by: promoting successful outcomes to staff to avoid stereotyping and challenge limits, challenging media images and misconceptions with case studies of achievement, ensuring organisational discrimination, policies proactively eliminate

ensuring all courses are marketed to community organisations and advocacy groups within the area, and making course information available in a variety of formats e.g. Internet (using accessible websites), print and audio copies, and large print. (For more information about making your website more accessible for people with a disability, check out the World Wide Web Consortiums Web Accessibility Initiative website at http://www.w3.org/WAI/ ) Create a learning environment that recognises learners needs by methods such as: evaluating suitability of learning materials and assessment processes for all clients. For example, use of audio tapes to support written text; use of captioned videos; availability of recognising text for perusal of course materials, ensuring support and counselling is available and easy to find, offering a wide range of course options, assisting learners to identify and arrange additional services such as interpreters and trained note-takers, consult with the relevant stakeholder organisation, evaluating customer service procedures and training of support staff to ensure their responsiveness, and ensuring qualified tutorial support is available and factored into the course costing for all learners.

National Plans and Blueprints

To address the issue of people from equity groups being under represented in vocational education and training, a number of national strategies have been developed. 1. Bridging Pathways, is a national strategy and blueprint developed in 2000 to support people with disabilities in accessing VET. A Tasmanian state plan Equal Partners was developed in response.

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Equal Partners has seven focus areas: Planning and presentation, Purchasing, Pathways, Learning support, Capacity building, Marketing and information, and Performance Measurement.

2. Partners in a Learning Culture is a national strategy and blueprint developed in 2001 to support Aboriginal people to access VET. oana mallacka is the state plan of action developed in response. oana mallacka has four goals, which are to: increase the involvement of Aboriginal people in making decisions about policy, ensure that Aboriginal people participate in VET, make sure training for Aboriginal people is flexible and culturally appropriate, and make sure that there are closer links between training and employment. 3. The National VET Strategy for Adult Prisoners and Offenders in Australia has just been released and it will be implemented by individual states and territories.

4. ANTA has been overseeing the development of a National Strategy for Women in VET. Findings from these activities will be included in the new National VET Strategy for 2004-2010.

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Activities
The following section provides a number of activities designed to assist organisations to develop, and apply access and equity policies and procedures. Activity Sets 1 and 2 are designed to help a training organisation to decide on actions it might take under certain circumstances while Activity Sets 3 and 4 are to suggest actions which could support AQTF requirements.

Activity Set One - What advice would you provide?

The following case studies provide examples of situations which might be discriminatory. Consider each case carefully and see if you can decide the basis for the discrimination.

Case Study 1
An individual who is visually impaired, wanted to pay for training books by cheque. The company required her to produce a drivers licence for identification. Being ineligible for a licence due to her visual impairment, the person could not comply. Although the person had offered several other forms of identification, the manager would not accept them and the person was not allowed to buy the books.

The company indirectly discriminated against the person because of their impairment.

Case Study 2
A woman applied for a plumbing apprenticeship. She had the necessary qualifications and experience. The company expressed their fears to her that she would not be able to do the manual work. They gave the woman the job, but at a rate of pay below the award rate until she proved herself.

Direct sex discrimination means treatment of a person of one sex less favourable than a person of another sex. The company directly discriminated against the woman because of her sex.

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Case Study 3
An Aboriginal couple wanted to rent a business advertised by a real estate firm. The agent told them that the owners refused to let it to them because they were Aboriginal people.

Both the owner and the real estate firm directly discriminated against the couple because of their race. Race includes colour, descent, ethnic origin or nationality. This also applies if you are treated unfairly because of the race of your relatives, friends or work colleagues.

Activity Set Two - What would you do? Case Study 4.

Kelly conducts training for a private Registered Training Organisation. She recently began training five people in a Certificate IV qualification from the Community Services Training Package. One person in the group declared that they had a vision impairment.

What Kelly did. To support the needs of the person with a disability, Kelly engaged in the following activities: Discussed the learning and assessment adjustments required with support services and organisations that specialised in vision impairments. Contacted the Royal Guide Dogs Tasmania for information about adapting resources so that the learning material could be available in a format which would allow the person who had a vision impairment to use them with assistive technology. Kelly will continue to monitor the learners progress and keep the door open for discussion on further needs.

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Case Study 5
While developing a marketing plan for a new administration management course, an RTO recognised that there were a number of Aboriginal people living in the area who were interested in enrolling in the course.

What the Registered Training Organisation did? From a series of interviews with the local Aboriginal community, the RTO found that:: Aboriginal people require culturally appropriate learning materials and sometimes additional resources such as literacy and numeracy support, Engaging alternative necessary, assessment methods might be

The learning environment needed to be inclusive and welcoming to Aboriginal people, and Programs need to be realistic, flexible and responsive to learners emerging needs and clearly demonstrate what can be gained from participation in the training.

Based on their research, the RTO determined it would: Consult with the Aboriginal community to determine what additional materials or resources were required, Advertise directly to community organisations targeting key Aboriginal groups and organisations, rather than use general newspaper advertising, Where possible use Aboriginal people to deliver the training, Where this is not possible, ensure that Non-Aboriginal people involved in the delivery had completed appropriate Aboriginal Cross Cultural Awareness training, Consult with participants to ensure the needs of the learners, were met, Include flexible delivery methods, e.g. on-line/Internet delivery, compact discs, audio tapes, captioned videos and prepared notes, to meet different personal situations (see resources page), Promote access to support networks and counselling so learners could have someone to talk to for encouragement and practical help. The RTO included the information in their marketing strategy for the new course. Despite some extra initial costs, the high rate of completion meant that the average cost per learner was lower than for previous courses. Thus it was actually more efficient in producing outcomes, as well as more effective for the participants.

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Activity Set 3
These questions grouped under the relevant AQTF Standard are to support RTOs compliance with the AQTF standards.

AQTF Standard 2 The RTO ensures that compliance with Commonwealth, State/Territory legislation and regulatory requirements relevant to its operations is integrated into its policies and procedures and the compliance is maintained. 1. Are you aware of the equity goals of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA)? Are you sure that your organisation meets its legislative obligations under the DDA? Can your employees access copies of the Act for easy reference?

2. 3. AQTF Standard 4

The organisation has effective administrative records management procedures in place.

1. 2.

Do you maintain records of the participation of learners from equity groups? Does your organisation keep up-to-date information on the training and labour market status of equity groups?

AQTF Standard 6 The organisation applies access and equity principles and provides timely and appropriate information, advice and support services which assist clients to identify and achieve their desired outcomes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Does your organisation have policies covering access and equity? How do your planning procedures incorporate access and equity considerations? Are all the staff aware of access and equity principles? Are all the staff aware of how to implement access and equity processes? How does the organisation ensure that your access and equity policy is adhered to?

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AQTF Standard 9 The organisation identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients.

1.

Where would you locate resources, services and products which might support people from the following groups? Aboriginal people People with a disability People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds People from rural and remote areas Mature aged people Women Unemployed people over 45

2. 3.

How could you consider the needs of different client groups when you are planning? How do you involve representatives of different client groups in your planning sessions? How do you evaluate the impact of your products and services in terms of achieving your equity goals?

4.

AQTF Standard 9 The organisation identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients.

1. 2.

Are trainers and assessors aware of the requirements of clients from equity groups? Does your consultation with stakeholders include equity group representatives?

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Activity Set 4
This is an example of a checklist that an organisation might use, in developing an access and equity system within the organisation. Does your Registered Training Organisation have What evidence do you have in place to show this? (Policy manual, staff manual, notes from meetings) Training and assessing staff who are aware of the requirements of clients from equity groups Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients AQTF standard that relates to this the access and equity issue

Partnerships with other training providers who have specialised skills and experience in meeting the needs of learners from particular client groups

Training and assessing venues that do not suit a particular client group, and have made efforts to use other more appropriate venues

Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients It also requires RTOs to use delivery modes and training and assessment materials which meet the needs of a diverse range of clients

Ways of identifying your learners learning requirements

Strategies for dealing with identified needs Previous evaluations of the training experience of equity groups which have been taken into account when designing new products Consultation with clients regarding the design of your products and services Training and learning resources which are written in plain English, free from cultural, racial, and gender bias.

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Does your Registered Training Organisation have

What evidence do you have in place to show this? (Policy manual, staff manual, notes from meetings)

AQTF standard that relates to this the access and equity issue

Alternative modes of assessment for clients with particular needs offered to them? Strategies to ensure that your learners are aware of the alternative assessment methods that you offer All your advertising and marketing materials written in plain English

Standard 9 The RTO identifies, negotiates, plans and implements appropriate learning and assessment strategies to meet the needs of each of its clients

Standard 12 The RTOs marketing and advertising of training and assessment products and services is ethical Standard 12 The RTOs marketing and advertising of training and assessment products and services is ethical Standard 12 The RTOs marketing and advertising of training and assessment products and services is ethical

Strategies to avoid any stereotypical images of women or men, or people from various cultural groups

Strategies to promote your services in ways that invite the participation of all people?

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Resource List
Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) www.adcet.edu.au Aboriginal people - For policy information about training issues for and Cross Cultural professional learning opportunities (Equity Standards Branch, Aboriginal Education and VET Programs. Phone 03 62337187 Arthritis Tasmania plays a vital role in the lives of those affected by arthritis by providing support, educational services, and management information. http://www.arthritistasmania.com.au/index.html Bridging Pathways http://www.anta.gov.au/dapBridging.asp Choosing Your Path Disclosure: Its a Personal Decision www.uws.edu/rdlo/disclosure Course in Inclusive Practices for the VET sector (See NTIS for Tasmanian providers) Disability Awareness Information Kit http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dakit/disaware/disawarecontent.htm Disability Awareness short courses For more information phone : 03 62307600 Disability Organisations
1. Brain Injury Tasmania is a responsive and effective peak body that provides support to specialist and generic services, and assists individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. http://www.biat.org.au Royal Guide Dogs Tasmania provides a range of high quality services to people who are blind or vision impaired. http://www.guidedogstas.com.au/old/text.htm Tasmanian Deaf Society provides information and support services to Deaf and hearing impaired. http://www.tasdeaf.org.au

2.

3.

Equity Standards Branch has an Access and Equity Portal providing links to employment and training related websites of interest to employers and training organisations (mainly in the disability area). http://www.education.tas.gov.au/equitystandards/partners/ Graduate Certificate in Education (Inclusive Practice), Department of Education Phone 0362337945 Graduate Certificate in Education (Managing Student Behavior) Department of Education Phone 0362337945 Partners in a Learning Culture http://www.anta.gov.au/dapLearning.asp Supported Wage System This site includes information for on-the-job support, workplace modifications, and an allowance to offset employer costs in establishing a new supported wage placement http://www.workable.org.au/archive/sws.htm

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Migrant Resource Centre Northern Tasmania - http://www.mrcltn.org.au/ Southern Tasmania - 49 Molle Street, Hobart TAS 7000 Phone: (03) 6234 9411 Multicultural Tasmania http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/multitas/rsms/ Tasmanian Aboriginal Education Association Inc (TAEA) Ph: 03 6243 1768 Tasmanian Community Info-Line is a database listing of community organisations. http://www.infoline.tas.gov.au Workplace assessment identifies the communication and cognitive skills needed in a workplace and matches these to a persons abilities. www.crsrehab.gov.au/132.htm

Acknowledgements
Stephens M, Power D, and Hyde M, AccessAbility kit. Project AccessAbility: Division of Education, Griffith University, Queensland, 1991. Macquarie University, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney. Reasonable accommodations: strategies for teaching university learners with disabilities. Sydney, 1991. Fair go in training for people with a disability - Meeting the Australian Quality Framework Training Obligations- developed by Queensland Government Department of Employment and Training, version 2 September 2002. Building Diversity- Implications of the Disability Discrimination Act for Vocational Education and Training, Western Australian Department of Training.

Further Details
Manager, VET Equity Policy Equity Standards Branch, GPO Box 169 Hobart, 7001 Ph 03 62337133

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