Curtin University has unveiled its new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP), an initiative to create an accessible and inclusive environment for people with disabilities.
The plan, Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2017-2020: Facilitating Universal Design applies the principals of universal design, including equitable use and flexibility in use, to design for a diverse student and staff body from the outset.
As part of Curtin’s commitment to equal access and opportunities, all staff will be encouraged to consider the principles of universal design and how it can be applied to their roles.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the University was committed to innovation and excellence for the benefit of its diverse community.
“Each Curtin DAIP to-date has brought notable improvements in accessibility and inclusion for people with disability. For this plan, the University has chosen to move from a five-year to a three-year plan to ensure that our strategies remain relevant and align with the University’s strategic planning cycle,” Professor Terry said.
“The new DAIP applies the principals of universal design to our day-to-day operations, including the ways in which we deliver academic programs, construct and refurbish our facilities, and seek to improve access and inclusion to our events and all of our processes.”
In 2016, Curtin developed the inaugural publication Universal Design Guidelines – Built Environment, which will focus on increasing awareness of the principles of universal design, increasing staff capability to deliver on universal design, and demonstrate leadership in universal design thinking.
Curtin’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2017-2020, has been launched during the University’s anniversary year, which celebrates ‘50 years of Innovation’, recognising the combined history of the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), which opened its doors to students in 1967 and evolved into Curtin University in 1987.
