Held back: The experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian schools
For these reasons, the Commission undertook research examining the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian Schools to learn how schools are meeting students’ needs, as well as understanding where practice might be improved.
The research was initiated following concerns raised by the Commission’s Disability Reference Group, parents, advocates and students about discrimination in the provision of education services to students with disabilities.
More than 1,800 students, parents and educators who had their say through our survey, phone-in and ‘have a say’ days.
Other interviewees included people from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Independent Schools Victoria, the Catholic Education Office, the Disability Service Commissioner and the Office of the Senior Practitioner, who participated as key informants for the research, along with critical friends groups from the Victorian Aboriginal Disability Network and representatives of culturally and linguistically diverse communities and organisations.