Kia Ōrite Achieving Equity
New Zealand Code of Practice for an Inclusive Tertiary Education Environment for Students with Impairments

> Purpose of this Code of Practice > Rationale for this Code of Practice > Development of the Code of Practice > Consultation Survey Overview

PURPOSE OF THIS CODE OF PRACTICE

To assist tertiary education providers to create a fully inclusive tertiary education environment for students with impairments within New Zealand.

Code of Practice Aims

1. Set out `Best Practice Standards' that describe the outcomes needed to create a fully inclusive tertiary education environment for students with impairments.
2. Assist tertiary education providers to:
   1. Understand the status of people with impairments in tertiary education in New Zealand.
   2. Evaluate their progress towards an inclusive environment.
   3. Identify barriers to participation and achievement that people with impairments face.
   4. Improve tertiary outcomes for students with impairments.
   5. Be aware of policy and legal obligations relating to people with impairments in tertiary education.

Kia Ōrite Achieving Equity includes the vision, best practice standards, policy and legal framework to create a fully inclusive tertiary education environment.

Part three covers different activities of a tertiary institution. Each activity includes:

1. A vision for creating an inclusive environment.
2. Best Practice Standards, which are outcomes to achieve the vision.
3. Examples to amplify the readers understanding of the standards.

The activities that are covered in the Code of Practice include:

• Policy and Planning.
• Recruitment, Selection, Admission, Enrolment and Withdrawal.
• General and Specialist Support Services.
• Funding.
• Services for Maori.
• Buildings, Facilities and Equipment.
• Teaching and Learning.
• Examinations and Assessment.
• Staff Development.
• Complaint and Appeal Policies and Procedures.
• Monitoring and Evaluation.

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This Code of Practice is not just for Disability Support Services:

1. It is designed to assist tertiary education providers to identify and remove barriers in all areas of campus life.
2. Council and Senior Management commitment is essential for the successful implementation of this Code of Practice.
3. We hope that the implementation of the Code in each institution will be endorsed by the Council and driven by senior management in partnership with students with impairments, Māori, staff from different areas of the institution, student association and community representatives.
4. For the purposes of the Code of Practice we have used the New Zealand Disability Strategy definition of disability. This states that, “disability is not something individuals have. What individuals have are impairments. They may be physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, intellectual or other impairments.” Instead, “disability is the process which happens when one group of people create barriers by designing a world only for their way of living, taking no account of the impairments other people have”.[1]

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RATIONALE FOR USING THIS CODE OF PRACTICE

It can assist tertiary education providers to:

1. Improve tertiary education outcomes for students with impairments.
2. Meet their specific obligations relating to students with impairments under the New Zealand Disability Strategy, Tertiary Education Strategy, STEPS, and Charters and Profiles.
3. Avoid the possibility of the institution receiving a disability-related complaint in terms of the Human Rights Act or other legislation, through the proactive identification and removal of barriers to participation and achievement.
4. Review services for students with impairments thus enabling them to get the greatest value out of resources.

This Code is intended to have an impact on the participation and achievement of students with impairments at all levels of learning and at all types of tertiary providers including universities, polytechnics, wananga, colleges of education and private training establishments.

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DEVELOPMENT OF THE CODE OF PRACTICE

1. This Code of Practice has been developed by Achieve, The National Post-Secondary Education Disability Network Incorporated. This has been completed in partnership with various stakeholders involved with tertiary education for students with impairments.
2. The development of the Code of Practice involved:
   1. The 2002 Code of Practice Consultation Survey. This was a guide for drafting the Code and was completed by students with impairments, disability groups, academic, general and disability support staff.
   2. A Steering Committee made up of various stakeholders involved with tertiary education. Established by Achieve, this group provided advice about the development of the Code.
   3. Seeking feedback about the Draft Code of Practice:
      1. Copies were sent to Chief Executives, disability support staff, student associations at universities, polytechnics, wananga and colleges of education, to distribute and provide feedback.
      2. These were also sent to other stakeholders with coordination roles in education or the disability community.
      3. Forums were held in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin. 165 people attended these forums, including staff from at least 30 different tertiary education providers and 15 Students Associations.
      4. An opportunity to provide ‘individual feedback’ was also available on the ACHIEVE website. 30 written submissions were received.

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