Strategic human rights-based policy reforms for making Australian universities equally accessible to students, staff, and faculty who are Indigenous people with disability

Australian universities promulgate Disability Action Plans and Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plans, but have yet to respond to students, staff, and faculty who are Indigenous and live with disability. In consequence, these individuals frequently experience inequalities and exclusions associated with both their indigeneity and disability statuses. The absence of coherent policies that recognize, respect, and respond to their intersectionality, along with societal structures, further restricts their access to higher education. By contrast, their particular needs and aspirations must be recognized and understood as a fully equal and valued human rights priority by university policies and research. Further, universities should use their privileged position to transform themselves, their students, staff, and faculties, as well as the wider communities in which they exist. Accordingly, we offer recommendations that can enable Australian higher education to champion intersectional inclusion. Throughout, we interweave the narrative of the lead author, a Kamilaroi woman with a vision impairment.