Awareness and engagement

Our plan is to ensure individuals with disabilities are aware of the support available to them.

Ensuring students with disabilities are aware of and can access the support offered by Te Amaru—Disability Services is a priority. We also wish to be the place of choice for disabled people considering future university study, including Māori and Pasifika communities. This will be realised through the following actions:

Information, advice, and scholarships

Provide information, advice, and scholarships for recruitment and to support the transition of future disabled students to the University and their engagement with Te Amaru—Disability Services.

This will be measured by:

• the percentage of university students who register as having a disability in line with the general New Zealand university student age demographic.
• the percentage of overall students aware of Te Amaru—Disability Services. (Have Your Say Survey)
• a baseline measure of the proportion of disabled students on scholarships who continue with their studies after one year and increase until in line with proportion of non-disabled students.

Responsibility:

• Te Kahupapa—Future Students
• Te Maka—Scholarships and PhD Admissions Office

(in partnership with Te Amaru—Disability Services).

Tauira whaikaha (Māori disabled students)

Increase the awareness of the support available for tauira whaikaha (Māori disabled students) to enable them to fully participate in, and contribute to, te ao Māori and University life, have choices (kōwhiringa), and be empowered (rangatiranga).

This will be measured by the percentage of Māori students registered with Te Amaru— Disability Services in line with overall Māori student representation at the University.

Responsibility:

• Āwhina
• Te Kahupapa—Future Students

(In partnership with Te Amaru—Disability Services)

Minority communities

Increase the awareness of the support available for Pasifika, LGBTQIA+ and takatāpui, refugee, international and offshore disabled students to enable them to fully participate and contribute to university life.

This will be measured by:

• the percentage of Pasifika students registered with Te Amaru— Disability Services in line with overall Pasifika student representation at the University.
• at least one collaboration meeting held each year between Te Amaru—Disability Services and: Āwhina, Pasifika Student Success, Rainbow, Refugee and International advising staff to identify strategies to increase awareness of the support available from each other’s services.

Responsibility:

• Pasifika Student Success
• Manawa Ora—Student Wellbeing
• Te Haumiri—International Student Experience
• Te Kahupapa—Future Students

(In partnership with Te Amaru—Disability Services)

Partnership

Develop a partnership between Te Amaru — Disability Services and the Disabled Students Association that includes enhancing student awareness of both, the services that are available, and the disabled student community they can be part of.

This will be measured by a partnership agreement and monthly meetings to progress shared objectives.

Responsibility:

• Te Amaru—Disability Services
• Disabled Students’ Association

Celebrate

Actively celebrate disability pride and disability specific awareness weeks, including NZ Sign Language Awareness Week. We will do this in collaboration with external agencies to support disability awareness, connection, and community building.

Celebratory initiatives will be documented in Te Amaru—Disability Services' annual report.

Responsibility:

• Te Amaru—Disability Services
• Disabled Students’ Association
• Kōtare—Communications Group