Why accessibility matters
RMIT values the richness of diversity among our students and staff and recognises the contribution being made already by those living with disability. An inclusive and accessible working and learning environment:
- widens participation from under-represented groups of students and staff
- encourages greater retention and supports success
- upholds the rights of people with disability
- demonstrates fairness and equal opportunity
RMIT has a long and proud history of action to ensure people with disability can participate in study and work and has been recognised as a leading organisation for accessibility in the Australian Network on Disability Access and Inclusion Index. Our current Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Framework builds on these achievements and sets out our aspiration to achieve an RMIT that is “Inclusive by design: Everyone, everywhere, all the time.”
RMIT acknowledges that people with disability are as diverse as people without disability and that ‘disability’ encapsulates a wide range of experiences, with many disabilities being non-visible. Disability arises from the interaction between people and their environment and so RMIT aims to remove barriers, including attitudinal and cultural, which prevent inclusion, full participation and advancement.
Every day we strive to meet the needs of our diverse community. This involves continued learning and innovation to create an environment that is truly accessible to all and where everyone can achieve.
Find out more about our initiatives, services, resources and policies to support people with disabilities below:
Initiatives and Services
Equitable Learning Services
Equitable Learning Servicesprovides support and equal opportunities for students with a disability, neurodivergence, long-term illness or mental health condition, and primary carers of individuals with a disability, ELS provides individualised learning plans, adjustments to facilitate full participation, and services such as Auslan interpreters. Students can also access personalised career development advice and services.
Through our partnership with Australian Network on Disability, RMIT can provide opportunities to students with disability and improve the RMIT talent pool. Find out how to host an intern or become a mentor to a student.
Disability transition support officer
For students with disability transitioning from secondary school to vocational education (TAFE), RMIT has a dedicated staff member to support this move into adult learning.
This staff member can assist with:
- Advice on enrolment processes and troubleshooting any difficulties
- Support to connect with other wellbeing and disability supports at RMIT, including the Equitable Learning Services
- Support to connect with other student services including the careers team and work integrated learning advisors
- Advice around what to expect in an adult learning environment
- A friendly contact point for up to the first 90 days at RMIT6
Mentoring and targeted support in employment and studies
RMIT’s mentoring and support programs for access, retention and success by people with disability include:
- The Equitable Learning Services team provides individualised mentoring and support to around 2,000 students with a disability, neurodivergence long-term illness and/or mental health condition each year.
- A dedicated Careers Consultant is a full time staff member to support students living with a disability to participate in industry-based learning as part of their studies and to obtain and maintain employment.
- RMIT has a partnership with GradWISE, a Disability Employment Service to facilitate access to opportunities and support for students in obtaining employment.
- The Stepping Into Internship Program, supporting students with disability. 2024 program saw a Stepping Into Intern join the People and Culture team.
- The PACE Mentoring Program, with the most recent cohort in 2025 supporting 10 mentees and mentors in a supported, structured program.
Mental wellbeing
At RMIT, we take action to promote student and staff mental wellbeing (staff login) and provide a range of support services, events, and professional development opportunities. Free professional mental health counselling is available for students and staff.
Services for staff with disability
The Workplace Adjustment Officer coordinates workplace adjustments for staff with disability and/or neurodivergence, which may include physical changes to the working environment, technological adjustments or flexible work. The Workplace Adjustment Officer provides training and development and evaluation of our services as a key opportunity to create disability confidence for our staff and student community. Find out more about accessibility at work (staff login).
Promoting neurodiversity awareness in learning and workplace environments
RMIT has a range of initiatives to be affirming of neurodivergence in both students and staff (staff login), including:
- Dedicated study sessions through the Library that adjust the environment as well as providing additional study support tailored to the needs of those who are neurodivergent.
- An in-depth professional development workshop that gives RMIT staff an opportunity to broaden their understanding and knowledge when it comes to neurodiversity.
Accessibility on campus
Property Services works with stakeholders from across RMIT to improve the accessibility of our campus facilities.
Find out more about RMIT’s annual improvements, changing places and accessibility campus maps and navigation.
RMIT Libraries
RMIT Libraries have staff, services and facilities to help students and staff with disability use the Library and find information. Dedicated Librarians can provide tours, advice about accessing library resources, or help with computer and room bookings. The Library also converts resources into accessible formats.
Digital accessibility
We aim to meet the diverse needs of our community through setting consistent standards for our online information and the online services we use.
Our Digital Accessibility Procedure seeks to ensure that students, staff, and visitors can access and use our digital information and services.
RMIT’s home page became the first of any Victorian university with zero automatically detected accessibility errors, assessed by the accessibility tool WAVE.
Professional development and resources
To support our students and staff, RMIT offers a variety of online modules and hybrid workshops touching on accessibility, disability and neurodivergence. These programs include:
- Neurodiversity 101: an affirmative approach
- Neurodiversity 201:Embedding Inclusive Actions
- IDEA in Action
- Accessibility and Inclusion at RMIT
- Introduction to Accessibility at RMIT (Online Module)
- How to: Digital Accessibility
- To request training on specific topics relating to:
- Blindness and Low Vision
- Workplace Adjustment and the Legal Framework
Complete this form
Inclusive teaching for students with disability
- How to support students registered with Equitable Learning and Accessibility
- Equitable Learning Service (Online Module)
- Alternative Assessment Arrangements (Online Module)
- Inherent Requirements (Online Module)
- Supporting students with accessibility (staff login required)
- Equitable Learning Service: Disability Support at RMIT (staff login required)
- Inclusive teaching web page (staff login required)
- Inclusive teaching: Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing students (staff login required)
- Universal Design for Learning in Tertiary Education | Learning (myworkday.com)
Events and communications
RMIT holds regular events and shares communications to celebrate our disability community and promote equity and inclusion, so stay tuned to RMIT channels (staff login required) to find out more.
RMIT celebrates…
- RMIT in conjunction with the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training proudly presented: What’s next for Digital Accessibility? A cross-institutional discussion on where we've come from, harnessing the COVID disruption and embedding digital equity in what's next. Video - RMIT and ADCET Webinar: What’s next for Digital Accessibility? - ADCET
- International Day of People with Disability, December 3, is a globally recognised day that aims to share stories and increase visibility for people with disabilities in all aspects of life.
- Student Experience: Connecting with ELS
- Student Experience: Implementing the ELP for assessments
Policies
- IDEA policy and IDEA Framework
- Assessment and Assessment Flexibility Policy
- Admission Policy
- Equity and Other Admissions Schemes Procedure
- Student Support Policy
External resources
Networks and partnerships
RMIT Student Union Disabilities and Carers Department advocates for disabled students and carers and to represent them when it counts.
RMIT has a Community of Practice in Digital Accessibility that includes staff from Melbourne and Vietnam from all areas of teaching and professional roles. Community of Practice members meet regularly with the aim at embedding best practice as well as responding to emerging developments internally and externally.
The Neurodiversity Hub
The Neurodiversity Hub aims to support the untapped talent that exists among neurodiverse students by supporting them into employment. Through focused training, resources, and networks, the Hub works with industry and educational institutions to create supportive pathways and build student employability.
By collaborating with the Hub, RMIT joins an established Community of Practice that will provide opportunities to enhance the development and employability of our neurodiverse students.
Australian Disability Network Index and opportunities for students and staff
RMIT are a Silver member of the Australian Disability Network (ADN), a national organisation that supports its members to create inclusive environments for people with disability. ADN provide support, conduct training, share knowledge, best practice and facilitate networking opportunities. RMIT participated in the Australian Disability Network Career Mentoring Program Autumn 2025.
RMIT Disability and Neurodiversity Staff Network
The RMIT Disability and Neurodiversity Staff Network (DNSN) is a group of professional and academic staff who:
- Live with a disability
- Identify as neurodiverse
- Live with a medical, neurological or mental health condition
- Are primary carer of a person with any of the above
Participation in DNSN is voluntary and open to those with lived experience who identify as one or more of the categories listed above, formal confirmation of diagnoses is not required. DNSN holds regular meetings and hosts online discussion threads for members to share and seek peer support at any time.
RMIT Disability & Neurodiversity Staff Network
Hear from RMIT staff introducing the RMIT Disability & Neurodiversity Staff Network, sharing why the network was created, and why it is important.
Our objectives
Develop a network of people who face similar challenges, triumphs and lived experience to provide support
Advocate for and on behalf of staff impacted
Be actively involved in workplace solutions
Contribute to and influence a disability and neurodiverse inclusive workplace
Join DNSN
Staff can join by completing the sign-up form linked to on Worklife (staff login required).
The language of disability
RMIT acknowledges that language concerning identity continues to evolve. In accordance with guidance provided by the Australian Network on Disability, RMIT uses ‘person first’ language to describe people with disability, while acknowledging many people with disability prefer to use identity-first language. Identity-first language puts a person’s disability identity before the person – for example, ‘disabled person’ or ‘Autistic’ - instead of ‘person with autism’; ‘Deaf’ - instead of ‘person who is deaf’. Many prefer to use identity-first language as they regard their disability as a key part of their identity. They use identity-first language to show their connection to the disability community, demonstrate disability pride and emphasise that it is society that is disabling. Of course, when interacting directly with people or describing them, we respect and use their preferred way of describing themselves.
