FAQ's

SAWO coordinates services and support for various student groups, including those:

• with a disability and/or health conditionwho are carers
• victim-survivors of domestic violence
• residing in rural and remote areasincarcerated
• on permanent humanitarian visas
• members of the defence force and emergency services
• elite athletes

We are committed to ensuring all our students have access to equal learning opportunities. If you feel that you would benefit from some extra support and have questions you'd like to discuss with an Accessibility and Wellbeing Coordinator before you register with us, you are welcome book a 30-minute appointment. Alternatively, call our reception on +61 2 6773 2897 or email accessinclusion@une.edu.au

Yes, face-to-face appointments are available at the Armidale campus (Anaiwan Country) with our Accessibility and Wellbeing Coordinators or Advisors upon request. Appointments are also available by phone or video.

Yes, you can bring a parent, guardian, or support worker to your appointment. However, an Authority to Act form must be completed and returned prior to your appointment.  You can access the form here - Authority to Act Form

We are open Mon-Fri 9-4pm. Student Accessibility appointments are usually 30 minutes.
We do our best to accommodate students’ needs—feel free to discuss any specific requests with us!

If there are no available appointments for a month, please call Reception on (02) 67732897. We do hold some emergency appointments. If you need urgent mental health support, you can contact the Urgent Mental Health Support Line on 1300 661 927 (or text 0488 884 169)

We can experience a high volume of calls.   All phone messages received during this time will be responded to as soon as possible. We require a Name, Student ID Number and a brief indication of your enquiry. We suggest you email your request through ensuring you leave your Name, Student ID Number and a brief indication of your enquiry.

A Study Access Plan (SAP) outlines reasonable adjustments to allow equal access and participation in university life.

Types of adjustment might include:  

• assessment and exam adjustments
• alternative formatting
• access to assistive technology
• lecture support
• library services

For a Study Access Plan (SAP), you will need documentation that may include a letter from your GP, UNE Health Professional Report, or a letter from your treating health profession.
This letter should:

• state the health condition
• indicate the time frame that this condition is likely to impact on the student’s study
• outline the impact of the condition on the student
• recommend reasonable accommodations
• clearly identify the health professional and their credentials and
• be legible, on a letterhead, dated and signed.

You can view examples of eligible Health Professionals HERE and scrolling down to the heading ‘Documentation You Will Need’

At peak times, it can take 2-3 weeks to receive your Study Access Plan. However, we will always try to provide updates on our website when we are experiencing a high volume of enquiries and registrations.

A health professional report is the best way to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to meet your needs. However, if you are unable to see your health professional at the time of registration, a temporary Study Access Plan (SAP) for 1 trimester can be developed based on supplementary documents such as a letter, discharge summary or some other documentation that states your ongoing condition/diagnosis/situation.

Yes, we offer temporary SAPS for students who are experiencing a temporary situation that is affecting their studies, such as pregnancy, broken limbs, surgeries, unexpected death in the family. These plans are designed to provide short-term adjustments to help students manage their studies during challenging times.

All documents and conversations with an Coordinator remain confidential. You have the option to disclose on your plan your health condition/situation. If no disclosure is elected, then 'Not Disclosed' is written the document.

While students with a Study Access Plan (SAP) may request adjustments to make exams more manageable, all students must still meet the inherent requirements, accreditation requirements and learning outcomes of their course, as outlined in UNE’s policies. Some units will require supervised exams.

Exemption from attendance at mandatory intensive schools is not possible in most cases. If you do not attend the mandatory intensive school, you will incur a Fail (NI) for that unit, unless you withdraw from the unit. Withdrawals after Census or after the last date for withdrawal without academic penalty will incur a HECS liability and/or the academic penalty.  If your circumstances have changes after Census date, you may be eligible to apply for a remission of fees.

There may be circumstances where placement location needs to be considered. SAWO can work with you and your School/placement team to try to factor this in.  Please get in touch as early as possible to discuss your needs.

Study Access Plans cannot be used as the only documentation to apply for a SET, however can be used to support other documents. If your condition/diagnosis/experience is known to SAWO and your reason for applying for a SET directly relates to this, please contact SAWO to see if a support letter may be developed to support your application. Alternatively, you can request a support letter from another professional that understands your experience such as a treating health professional, coach, support agency etc.

If you require the use of a reader/scribe or other additional assistance for an assessment task, you will need to contact SAWO at least two (2) weeks before the assessment is held, so we can make the necessary arrangements.

If you require a support person to attend your intensive school/on campus activity, you will need to notify your Unit Coordinators and contact SAWO to ensure this accommodation is included in your Study Access Plan (SAP).

If you are bringing a support person on campus, whether it is through an NDIS-provider or a private carer or chaperone, they need to complete a Work, Health and Safety (WHS) induction as a Visitor (see section on Visitors and Volunteers).

The system that the induction is in is the University’s Safety Management System, called Keep Safe. Your unit coordinator/host or supervisor can request access to Keep Safe on your support person’s behalf.

For any queries about this requirement, please contact the Work, Health and Safety Team.

Residential Services offer a range of accessible accommodation options - be sure to give them a call prior to booking your accommodation on (02) 6773 3370 or contacting via AskUNE. For more information, check out our Physical Campus page.

Yes, UNE has a designated breast-feeding room for students. The current space is C031 Dixson Room 239 (Level 1, Dixson Library), which includes a couch, changing table and fridge for your convenience. Please see - UNE Armidale Campus Map

If you require an assistance animal as part of your Study Access Plan (SAP), you will need to provide documentation confirming that your animal meets the definition under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA). An assistance animal is a dog or other trained animal that:

• is accredited under state or territory law to assist a person with a disability, helping
  reduce the effects of their condition;
• is accredited by a recognised training organisation; or
• has been trained to assist with a disability and meets the expected standards of
  hygiene and behaviour in public.

This documentation will help our team facilitate the inclusion of the assistance animal in your SAP. For any questions about documentation or further information, contact us at accessinclusion@une.edu.au to arrange an appointment to speak with us. Please note, that while we recognise the importance of emotional support animals, they do not have the same access rights as assistance animals.

Assistance animals are generally welcome on campus, but certain areas may have restrictions, including food preparation spaces, certain laboratories, and biosecurity zones unless used for authorised teaching or research purposes. Please speak to your Unit Coordinator prior to attending on campus activities with an assistant animal to ensure you have safe access to your learning environment.

The UNE Ally Network hosts several events throughout the year.  You can visit the Queer Space, on the main level of the Dixon Library . The UNE Queer Space is a safe and open area that is for everyone to use.

Yes. If you've registered for the Elite Athlete Program you are entitled to free access and use of all health and fitness facilities at SportUNE. 

Simply show your SAP at the check in desk, contact SportUNE ahead of your visit, or reach out to your EAP Coordinator to arrange your visit.