CURTIN ACCESS PLAN (CAP)
A Curtin Access Plan (CAP) is a document that outlines the reasonable adjustments recommended for a student with a disability/medical condition or a carer of a person with disability to enable equitable access to their studies and assessments.
Here's our guide to getting a Curtin Access Plan and navigating the information on Curtin's website.
Step 1: Be diagnosed with a disability
What is a Disability?
The definition of disability is very broad and includes medical and mental health conditions, and learning disabilities.
“A disability might be something that affects or limits your movements, your senses, your communication abilities, or your learning abilities. It may or may not be visible, and it may be permanent or temporary. It may be something you were born with, or it may have appeared later in life or resulted from something that s happened to you. Some people have more than one disability.”
“Common disabilities and medical conditions seen at university are:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia
- Specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dysgraphia
- Medical problems such as chronic fatigue syndrome, epilepsy and diabetes
- Temporary disabilities such as fractures and injuries
- Vision and hearing impairments.”
Source
Step 2: Get a letter from your Health Care Provider
What Supporting Documentation do you need?
You’re going to need a letter or statement from an appropriately qualified health professional, or a completed Health Professional Report Form.
Curtin’s AccessAbility Services require that this documentation be provided in English.
“Appropriately qualified health professionals include:
- General practitioners
- Medical specialists
- Psychologists
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Speech pathologists
- Social workers
- Optometrists
Acceptable documentation for specific learning disabilities should be provided by:
- A psychologist (preferably with educational and/or developmental training) in the identification of dyslexia, language based dysgraphia or dyscalculia.
- An occupational therapist in the diagnosis of motor based dysgraphia or developmental coordination disorder.
- A speech pathologist for difficulties related to specific language impairments or childhood apraxia of speech.”
Source | Here’s the statement of confidentiality
Step 3: Making an Appointment
To get your CAP you’ll need to make an appointment with AccessAbility Services to see an AccessAbility Advisor and discuss your situation and requirements.
Contact AccessAbility to make an appointment:
Email: access.ability@curtin.edu.au
Phone: +61 8 9266 7850 or 1800 651 878
Appointments can be in person, by phone or online.
Let them know if you have specific needs for the appointment, such as information in an alternative format or an Auslan Interpreter.
Email your supporting documentation to AccessAbility prior to your appointment.
Source
Step 4: Attending the Appointment
You can find AccessAbility Services on campus at Bentley in Building 109, Level 2. Lift access is available.
When you sit down with the AccessAbility advisor you will discuss your situation (the documentation you provided) how your disability of health condition affects your studies and then the “reasonable adjustments “you need. and then the requirements you need. If you’re not sure what might help the Advisor will be able to make some suggestions.
Step 5: Getting those accommodations
Once you’ve got your Curtin Access Plan you need to remember to send it to your Unit Coordinators for each of your units at the start of each semester.
If you find that the recommended adjustments in your CAP aren’t being reasonably met you can get in contact with Curtin’s AccessAbility Services or the Guild Accessibility Officer on accessibility@guild.curtin.edu.au.
Curtin's AccessAbility Services
Email: access.ability@curtin.edu.au
Phone: (08) 9266 2850 or 1800 651 878
Building 109, Level 2 Curtin University
Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 5pm
Friday, 8am to 4:30pm