Disability and inclusion in student placements
This page provides information about placement adjustments recommended by Inclusion and Disability Services (IDS).
The University is committed to supporting students with a disability, or those who have carer’s responsibilities as defined by the NSW Carer’s (Recognition) Act; to ensure they have equitable access to the learning environment as set out in
It is important to remember that students are not required to disclose a disability or carer’s responsibilities unless they wish to access support.
Faculty responsibilities
To support student safety, success, and wellbeing during placements, the Student Placement and Projects Policy 2015 identifies that Placement Coordinators (a role which should be defined in Faculty or School Local Provisions) "must request students to disclose health issues that have a work health and safety significance for placement before commencing a placement or project, so that student safety can be optimised" (clause 13).
The Faculty’s role is to encourage appropriate disclosure (without pressure) and to ensure students receive the appropriate support once an Academic Plan is in place.
Faculties are also responsible for confirming that allocated Sites can support IDS-recommended Placement Adjustments.
IDS responsibilities
IDS collaborates with students to develop Academic Plans which identify reasonable adjustments designed to ensure students have equitable access to all components of their course to facilitate academic success.
By registering with IDS, students with a disability or carer’s responsibilities can access the support and adjustments they need to succeed in their studies.
Student responsibilities
Where students with a disability or carer’s responsibility require placement support they are responsible to register with IDS.
Our role is to encourage appropriate disclosure without pressure and ensure students receive the appropriate support.
Students are not obliged to:
- Disclose disability or carer's responsibilities to the University
- Request an Academic Plan
- Inform placement provider
The University is dedicated to ensuring that all students have equal access to learning. IDS works with students to develop a personalised academic plan.
The Academic plan (APs) details a students' course requirements and the recommended adjustments and one-to-one learning supports required to assist a student with their learning. The academic plan is used to formally communicate to staff within the University the adjustments that a student is eligible to access throughout the semester. Academic plans will be reviewed each semester.
Academic plans can include IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments (subsequently referred to as Placement Adjustments). These adjustments are aligned with Course Inherent Requirements and are specified to promote equitable work integrated learning placement experiences.
Placement Adjustments are intentionally broad and can be used by staff to help identify appropriate placement allocations. Examples include:
Placement allocation within a certain distance from the student's home address;
Allocation with consideration to access to transport;
Regular rest intervals.
Important: only Placement Adjustments identified on an AP should be considered during placement allocation.
If a student requests adjustments that are not documented on an AP, they should be directed to contact IDS to discuss their concerns.
Accessing Academic Plans
APs are uploaded to the Disability Academic Plans (DAP) Portal.
University staff involved in placement allocation as part of their regular activities may request a logon to the DAP Portal. Requests require supervisor approval and can be submitted via the ServiceNow DAP Portal Access Request Form.
Step 1. IDS services are advertised to all students via:
Information slides presented during week 1 lectures
Direct emails in response to UAC responses
Student newsletters
Step 2. Student registers with IDS via the Student Wellbeing Portal.
Step 3. IDS reviews the student's application and supporting documentation and meets with the student to collaborate on reasonable adjustments required to provide them with equitable access to the learning environment, including Placement Adjustments.
Step 4. AP created and saved to the DAP Portal.
Step 5. Placement staff access DAP Portal immediately prior to completing placement allocations and take into consideration all identified Placement Adjustments when allocating students.
Placement Adjustments are designed to support student success on placement. When administering allocations, it is recommended to:
- Review the DAP portal to identify any students with current placement adjustments. It is important to remember that APs are dynamic, therefore staff should not rely on any AP information gathered from previous allocation cycles.
- Where appropriate, discuss relevant placement adjustments (and how they should be applied) with the Placement Coordinator (as defined by the Student Placement and Projects Policy (SPPP) and identified in Faculty or Schools' Local Provisions). Your local faculty Academic Plan Lead - Disability (as outlined in Support for Students Policy 2024) can assist with Placement Adjustments.
- Prioritise allocating students with placement adjustments. This will maximise placement options, increasing our ability to accommodate student needs.
Difficulty locating placement supporting Placement Adjustments
We should always aim to implement Placement Adjustments, however IDS recognises that this may not be possible for a variety of reasons:
- Late disclosure: where the student does not seek an AP until after allocations have been released and the existing allocation is either not suitable or allocated site cannot, or does not agree to implement Placement Adjustments.
Initially staff should attempt to locate an alternate, suitable placement, however where this is not possible, the Placement Coordinator (as defined by the (SPPP) and identified in your Local Provisions) should discuss the situation with the student to identify if they wish to:
- Continue with the existing allocation knowing Placement Adjustments are not available; or
- Attend placement in a subsequent placement period where a suitable site is available.
- Lack of a suitable placement: if it has not been possible to source a placement that supports a student's Placement Adjustments (during the current placement period), the Placement Coordinator may consider the possibility of moving the student to a subsequent placement period where a suitable opportunity is available.
- Placement Adjustment suitability: sometimes Placement Adjustments may not align to the inherent requirements of a required placement setting. Where this occurs, it is recommended that the Placement Coordinator contacts IDS to arrange a tri-party discussion to discuss options.
Sonia Online displaying Placement group description
What can we disclose?
Implicit within the student's enrolment, students agree to the University's Student Privacy Collection Notice. The Notice identifies that staff are permitted to disclose necessary information on behalf of a student without explicit additional permission.
- We can disclose IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments where they are required to support the student on placement
- We cannot disclose any details related to the student's disability or circumstance leading to the need for IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments.
How do we encourage students to disclose their placement support needs to us?
IDS have approved the following statement to be displayed on Sonia Online as the Placement Group Description (adjusted with target allocation dates).
"Allocations will be completed during semester XX week XX. If you believe we should consider any special arrangements, please contact USYD Inclusion & Disability at least weeks 2 prior."
The image to the right illustrates how this is displayed to students in Sonia Online.
Who can disclose IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments to sites hosting or potentially hosting students on placement?
The Student Placement and Projects Policy 2015 (SPPP) identifies the Placement Coordinator as being responsible for ensuring sites are aware of IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments. The conversation between the University and the potential host site is extremely important and ensures all parties understand how, and agree to support, IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments.
Importantly, a fully executed Student Placement Agreement (SPA) should be in place prior to disclosing any sensitive information with a site (including IDS-Recommended Placement Adjustments). SPAs include clauses related to the agreed and secure handling of personal information.
Mid-placement Check-Ins should be conducted for all placements as outlined in the Student Placement and Projects Policy 2015 and specified in the relevant School or Faculty Local Provisions.
This is the Placement Coordinator's opportunity to contact the student and ensure their needs are being met during placement.
Placement Coordinators can contact the site to confirm whether the student's placement adjustments have been successfully implemented or if they require additional support.
During a clinical placement: If a student experiences a temporary disability or other circumstances that may affect their ability to continue a placement, in the first instance, the student should notify the site. The University must then be informed of the situation.
The Placement Coordinator, student and site should discuss the situation and determine whether the placement should proceed. Where academic requirements may be affected, the Unit of Study coordinator and or relevant academic staff should be consulted to assess impacts on learning outcomes, assessment and academic progression.
Professional staff should only be involved where a variation to placement is required as directed by the Placement Coordinator.
Any decisions made regarding placement allocations must be recorded in:
- Sonia: limited information only, with reference to a TRIM record where appropriate and
- TRIM: where detailed information is necessary
Students should be encouraged to consider applying for Special Consideration and arrangements in accordance with the University's policy where assessment, attendance, or placement requirements may be impacted.
While potential impacts from the temporary disability or circumstance may not be immediately apparent, these situations may have academic ramifications beyond placement and could impact academic progression. For this reason, IDS encourages students in these circumstances to discuss IDS registration as ongoing academic and placement support may be required.
If you are not able to find the relevant information, please contact Inclusion and Disability Services [email protected].
Content reviewed by the Inclusion and Disability team on November 2025.