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Employees with disabilities - information for staff, HR
coordinators and managers
Recruitment and Selection
The University of South Australia recognises the importance of having
a diverse workforce where each person’s abilities are recognised and
valued. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) the University
has a legal responsibility to ensure that:
- staff with disabilities are not discriminated against by less
favourable treatment
- staff with disabilities are not discriminated against indirectly
by treatment which is less favourable in its impact
- reasonable adjustments are made to accommodate an employee's
disability where required
- harassment of staff with disabilities is avoided and prevented.
It is important to note that it is not discrimination to fail or
refuse to employ a person with disabilities for a job if the person is
unable, or would be unable to perform the inherent requirements of that
job and this inability cannot be remedied by making a reasonable
adjustment.
General information relating to recruitment and selection can be
obtained from the Human Resources web site at:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/recruitment/default.asp
Reasonable accommodations
In order to fulfil the inherent requirements of the job some people
with disabilities may need changes made to the work environment. Many
adjustments can be made with little or no cost. However, on occasions
there may be costs involved that are greater than an area can manage. To
ensure that the best possible person for the job is employed, the
University has created a fund to assist with costs associated with
employing a person with disabilities. The Director: Human Resources
manages this fund. Managers can apply to the Director: Human Resources
to cover costs of adjustments over $1000.00.
There is no definitive list of what a ‘reasonable accommodation’ is
or can be because every person’s disability, requirements and work
duties/location is different. What may seem ‘obvious’ may not be what is
required or the most effective accommodation – it is important to never
assume that a staff member requires an accommodation or that you ‘know’
what accommodation is to be made without discussing it with the staff
member concerned. Alternatively you or the staff member can approach the
HR Consultant (Equity & Diversity) for advice.
The range of accommodations that have been successfully implemented
across UniSA continues to grow and includes the following:
Please note that this is by no means the full list of
accommodations that have been made
- raising a desk to the appropriate height for a staff member who
uses an electric wheelchair
- putting in an automatic door for a staff member who uses a
wheelchair
- changing the default settings on a computer and email systems to
ensure that the spelling is automatically checked for a staff member
with a learning disability (dyslexia)
- proving a tape recorder to a staff member who has a hearing
impairment and who acts as an executive officer to a University
committee/working group
- providing voice activated software for a staff member with a
degenerative form of arthritis
- providing an enlarged computer screen for a staff member with
vision impairment
- providing an appropriate phone for a staff member who is hearing
impaired
- ensuring that a staff member who has no hearing in one ear can
sit where they need to in meetings so that they can hear the
discussions
- adjusting the hours of work for a staff member with a mental
illness so they could take an extra half-hour at lunch time to go
for a run
- ensuring that a staff member who has claustrophobia is able to
utilise stairs whenever possible rather than travel in lifts
- walking a staff member who is blind and their guide dog over set
routes to allow them to orient themselves
- providing a clean, private and appropriate space for a staff
member who needs to inject medication during the working day.
If you are unsure as to what signifies a reasonable accommodation, or
would like to discuss the options available you and/or the staff member
with a disability can contact the Consultant: HR Services (Equity &
Diversity)
on ext 21700 for advice.
What can be considered a disability?
The definition of a disability under the Federal Disability
Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) is very broad and if you are unsure you
should contact the Consultant: HR Services (Equity & Diversity) on ext 21700 for
advice.
Under the DDA:
A disability can mean:
- an intellectual disability
- a neurological or learning disability
- a physical disfigurement
- a physical disability
- the presence in the body of disease-causing organism (for
example, HIV virus)
- a psychiatric disability
- a sensory disability
The DDA covers a disability which people:
- have now
- had in the past
i.e. back injury, episode of mental illness
- may have in the future
i.e. genic illness (Parkinsons disease), heart disease, HIV positive
- are believed to have
i.e. assumption that someone living with someone with an infectious
disease also has that disease (eg AIDS)
What is a Disability?
- Loss of physical or mental functions
i.e. person who has quadriplegia, person who has a brain injury,
epilepsy or a vision and hearing impairment
- Loss of part of the body
i.e. amputation
- Infectious and non-infectious diseases and illnesses
i.e. AIDS, hepatitis or TB, allergies, typhoid bacteria
- Malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of a
person's body
i.e. diabetes, asthma, birth marks or scars
- A condition which means a person learns differently from other
people
i.e. autism, dyslexia, intellectual disability
- Any condition which affects a person's thought process,
understanding of reality, emotions or judgement or which results in
disturbed behaviour
i.e. mental illness, depression, neurosis, personality disorder
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