How are disability practitioners surviving COVID-19 'isolation'?

Jen Anderson Victoria University

Four of the five 'hot spot' municipalities in Melbourne’s west that were locked down in June, surround three campuses of Victoria University – Sunshine, Werribee and St Albans. This is where I work.

Along with a small team of Accessibility Liaison and Student Wellbeing practitioners, we support students across eight metropolitan campuses – two in Footscray and three in the city.

With the exception of essential workers, strict restrictions were extended at the end of June and Melburnians were 'locked in' with limited reasons to leave our homes; 5km travel limits and unending uncertainty impacting the fear and anxiety levels of 4.5 million people!

The problem-solving aspects of my role as Coordinator of services for students with illnesses and disabilities went into overdrive, as the dread set in. Students lost face to face classes, events, access to libraries, clubs – many lost their jobs. International students arriving early in 2020 had do deal with no family in Melbourne, homesickness and unending uncertainty. Studying online is possible for most, but this has been not without its challenges.

As we collectively realised the isolation was not going to end any time soon, we hurriedly printed course materials for TAFE students, arranged Zoom support sessions for note takers and sourced local options for cheaper devices. My thoughts returned to a national Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) Zoom session, where more than one hundred disability practitioners shared their initial thoughts as campuses across Australia closed.

For clients – Compassion!

For teams – Coaching!

For colleagues – Encouragement!

For academics (online teaching, with one week’s notice) – Awe!

For our communities – Advice!

To have a job – Gratitude!

Buoyed by the flood of positivity from our dedicated network of colleagues, we got on the phone to check in with our students and we’ve been monitoring, solving problems and realising new forms of liaison across the university community ever since. Then there’s juggling Jabber, Zoom, WebEx and phone meeting – with competency improving, despite unstable internet connections. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve abandoned a Zoom session on my computer to quickly join the session via mobile.

The wonders of technology paving the way for what will hopefully become a silver lining to the pandemic improved awareness of 'accessibility' for all. Are your course materials compliant? Do your videos include captions? Do your images have 'Alt text' descriptions? Is your university willing to engage hybrid attendance options post COVID-19?

Initially the problems and challenges seemed insurmountable as we juggled increasingly complex issues, referrals and advice. How do you learn online whilst sharing two devices with a family of younger siblings being home schooled? How do you access the Braille printer in the Library at Footscray Park, when you live in Keilor? How do you upload assignments with an unstable internet connection? How do you participate in the Zoom class when you don’t know Auslan and your hearing aid isn’t compatible?

Never fear, AustEd 1 is near! The national community (via email) of disability practitioners – where advice, tips and stories are shared warmly and delivered with just the right amount of humour and wit to keep us all motivated. No matter how strange the request – all you have to do is ask! Before long, a caring and dedicated DLO out there in AustEd land will respond with suggestions or a solution!

In our work, we skip along the border of Switzerland, with one foot in the independent learning camp and the other advocating for what is reasonable? Since the COVID-19 lockdown, I am noticing more nods, more flexibility, more compassion and more willingness as we and our academic colleagues work for all students to succeed – despite the myriad of impacts and challenges the pandemic has brought.

Stay well, be hopeful it will be over soon and be kind to yourselves! •

1. The AustEd email list is a closed list to facilitate discussion and information-sharing among disability practitioners and teachers within the post-secondary education sector.

Man using a Braille screen reader (Sigmund/ Unsplash)