Inclusion of people with intellectual disability in university in Australia: impetus for change

In this chapter you will learn about the key considerations for successful inclusion of people with intellectual disability in Australian universities. The developments and progress regarding inclusion of people with intellectual disability at university will be described. We focus on the supports that are needed to include people with intellectual disability at university. We highlight the importance of social capital and the critical role of informal support such as family in facilitating access to and participation in higher education by people with intellectual disability. We discuss some of the challenges that have resulted in barriers to accessing university services on an equal basis as others and highlight the importance of intersectionality. The case study presented at the start of the chapter provides an exemplar of the range of supports, as well as other factors to consider to ensure people with intellectual disability are fully included in Australian universities like their peers.