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Draft Disability Practitioner Accreditation Protocol

Contents:

• Practitioner Levels
• Points System
• Application Process
• Accreditation Committee
• Recommended Responsibilities
• Recommended Remuneration
• Accreditation Application Form
• Points Record

The Disability Education Association NSW/ACT (DEAN) Inc. is a Professional Association of Disability Practitioners in Post-Secondary Education. DEAN was established to represent the interests of staff and students in the sector, provide professional development activities and to facilitate the maintenance and enhancement of access to Post-Secondary education for people with disabilities.

DEAN recognises that the provision of services for students with disabilities in Post-secondary education is a specialised field of practice that has experienced significant growth in recent years. The introduction of a range of Anti-discrimination legislation, combined with educational institutions recognising the need to provide appropriate adjustments for students with disabilities has produced an expansion in the numbers of people working in the field, whilst the developments in technology, management strategies and professional practice have resulted in the need for increasingly specialised knowledge, skills and experience for practitioners.

Disability Practitioners in Post-Secondary Education may require extensive knowledge and skills in areas such as:

• Comprehensive knowledge of disabilities and their effects,
• Extensive knowledge of the educational institution - courses, personnel, assessments, rules, processes and practices,
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implementation (e.g. DDA, Anti-Discrimination Acts, Privacy Act, etc.),
• Knowledge of the range of adjustments available and the appropriate use of such adjustments
• Ability to assess the impact of disabilities on study
• Knowledge of assistive technology & its applications
• Awareness of physical access issues (including Building Codes & Information Technology)
• Counseling skills
• Capacity to provide information and awareness training
• Policy development skills
• Awareness and understanding of new resources, practices and issues in the sector
• Management skills (Staff, budget, office administration, etc.)
• Whatever else is needed.

Effective practice of Disability Services in education requires an understanding of the complex interaction between the effects of the disabilities, the requirements of the particular studies being undertaken and the resources, skills and experience each individual brings to the process. Practitioners must understand the education process but they are not educators. They need to understand and interpret medical documentation, but they are not medical practitioners. They need to have some counseling skills but they are not counselors. They must be able to understand and interpret legislation, but they are not lawyers. They need to be able to understand the capabilities and applications of specialised and mainstream technology, but are not Information Technology specialists. They need to be all these things and more. They not only need to understand these elements individually, but also the complex synergy of elements, strategies and tools to enhance access to education for people with disabilities.

The DEAN Accreditation Protocol is designed to assess and acknowledge the knowledge and skills of practitioners and provide a process of recognition for ongoing professional development and enhancement of practitioner knowledge and skills through experience, further training and supervision. The Accreditation Protocol charts a career development path for practitioners, acknowledging achievements and recommending areas of responsibility and seniority levels for particular Accreditation stages.

Accreditation is assessed, authorised and administered by those most able to effectively make such judgements - experienced fellow practitioners nominated by the Professional Association, DEAN Inc. as the Accreditation Committee.

The DEAN Accreditation Protocol is a multi-level accreditation process, where people move up from one level to another as they gain more experience and training. Points are allocated for periods of service, Professional Development activities, training courses undertaken, project work, publications, conference papers, etc. When sufficient points in specified areas are accumulated, practitioners can apply for accreditation or advanced standing from the DEAN Accreditation Committee.

The Accreditation process is designed to acknowledge the acquisition of specialist knowledge, skills and experience by Disability in Education Practitioners, and as such, assumes that all practitioners would enter the profession with fundamental qualifications such as an appropriate University degree or a combination of qualifications and experience. Further academic qualifications, short courses, training programs (including web-based training) should be included under the "Other points" category, with course details and evidence of completion. The Accreditation Committee will then determine the appropriate number of points to award for each course or qualification.

Note: it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they have adequate supporting documentation and evidence of the activities undertaken to accumulate points towards accreditation.

Accreditation Levels

Level 1 (Junior) Disability Practitioner:

Must have requisite tertiary education qualifications, or a combination of qualifications and experience.
Points required: 2000 Points, (See Points Allocation below):

Level 2 (Intermediate) Disability Practitioner:

Qualified for Level 1 Accreditation plus 2000 points (See Points Allocation below):

Level 2 Disability Practitioners must demonstrate at least a basic understanding of Assistive Technology and relevant Disability Legislation.

Level 3 (Experienced) Disability Practitioner:

Qualified for Level 2 Accreditation plus 2,500 points. (See Points Allocation below):

Level 3 Disability Practitioners are experienced practitioners who must demonstrate strong knowledge and significant experience in fields such as:

• Assistive technology
• Policy review and development
• Professional development
• Staff supervision and training
• Resource Development
• Legislative requirements

Level 4 (Senior) Disability Practitioner:

Qualified for Level 3 Accreditation plus 3000 points. (See Points Allocation below):

Level 4 Disability Practitioners are senior practitioners who have extensive experience and have displayed leadership in fields such as:

• Assistive Technology
• Professional Development
• Management experience and/or qualifications
• Staff supervision and training
• Resource development
• Policy review and development
• Legislative Requirements
• Innovation

Points Allocation:

• 500 points for each year of service (Junior Practitioners to have access to supervision by a more senior Practitioner. Supervision may be internal or external to their Educational Institution)
• 100 points per year for membership of recognized Professional Association
• 400 points for holding a position in a recognized Professional Association
• 100 points for each Professional Development Day attendance provided by DEAN Inc. (or equivalent body)
• 200 points for presenting a session at a Professional Development Day
• 150 points for attendance at a specialist Disability Conference (e.g. Pathways)
• 250 points for presentation of a paper at a Conference
• 400 points for presentation of a Keynote paper at a recognized Disability Conference or other relevant Conference, Seminar or similar function
• 300 points for publication of a paper in a recognized journal
• 500 points for Publication of a book or Internet Resource in a relevant field
• Other points may be allocated for relevant training, courses, experience or activities at the discretion of the Accreditation Committee

No more than 50% of any accreditation points to be based on years of service alone.

Because a number of experienced Practitioners have not had the opportunity to document or claim points for many activities and contributions to the development of this sector, for the first 2 years, Practitioners with more than 3 years experience may credit up to 80% of their years of service towards the necessary points for their first Accreditation.

Application Process:

1. Applicants must complete a DEAN Accreditation Application Form and submit the form, complete with supporting documentation and payment of $100 to:

DEAN Inc Accreditation Committee
P.O. Box 1045,
MEADOWBANK NSW 2114

Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they have adequate supporting documentation and evidence of the activities undertaken to accumulate points towards accreditation.

2. The Accreditation Committee will meet to assess applications for Accreditation. The Committee may call for further clarification, evidence or may choose to interview any or all applicants at the discretion of the Committee.

3. The Accreditation Committee will advise all applicants of the outcome of their application, including any reasons for rejecting an application for Accreditation or Advanced Standing and any suggestions possible activities unsuccessful applicants may undertake to facilitate future applications.

4. The Accreditation Committee will advise the DEAN Management Council of the outcome of all successful or unsuccessful applications.

5. The DEAN Management Council will issue a Certificate of Accreditation to every successful applicant.

Accreditation Committee

The DEAN Inc. Professional Accreditation Committee will consist of four members, including a Chairperson, appointed by the DEAN Management Committee. Accreditation Committee members will be experienced Practitioners (Level 3 or 4) with a broad range of knowledge, skills and experience in the field of Disability Services in Post-Secondary Education.

Committee members will be appointed for a period of 2 years, and may be re-appointed at the expiry of their term of office. Casual vacancies or short term appointments may be made by the DEAN Management Council as required. A Quorum for the Accreditation Committee shall be three members. The Chairperson shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied decision of the Committee.

Note: The Accreditation Committee shall have the discretion to award an Accreditation level to a worthy applicant who is close to achieving a particular level, but may be just short of being able to document the necessary points to achieve that level.

Recommended Responsibilities

Level 1 (Junior) Disability Practitioner:

Recommended Responsibilities:

• Supervised Case Management of clients
• Some contribution to planning, policy development and practice review
• Provision of basic technology training and supervision
• Attendance at Professional Development training and Conferences
• Demonstration of basic knowledge of relevant Legislative rights and responsibilities.

Level 2 (Intermediate) Disability Practitioner:

Recommended Responsibilities:

• Minimally supervised Case Management of clients
• Regular contribution to planning, policy development and practice review
• Provision of Assistive technology assessment, training, support & supervision
• Attendance at and contribution to Professional Development training and Conferences
• Advice, consultation & liaison on relevant Legislative rights and responsibilities.
• Advice, consultation & liaison on access requirements (Physical & IT)
• Some casual staff supervision (e.g. Note-takers)

Level 3 (Experienced) Disability Practitioner:

Recommended Responsibilities:

• Independent Case Management of Clients
• Supervision of Junior & Intermediate Practitioners' Case Management
• Provision of Assistive technology assessment, training, support & supervision (including advice on acquisition & deployment)
• Leading contribution to planning, policy development and practice review
• Attendance at and contribution to Professional Development training and Conferences
• Advice, consultation & liaison on relevant Legislative rights and responsibilities.
• Advice, consultation & liaison on access requirements (Physical & IT)
• Staff management, supervision and training
• Budget supervision

Level 4 (Senior) Disability Practitioner:

Recommended Responsibilities:

• Independent Case Management of Clients
• Supervision of Junior & Intermediate Practitioners' Case Management
• Provision of Assistive technology assessment, training, support & supervision (including advice on acquisition & deployment)
• Leading contribution to planning, policy development and practice review
• Attendance at and contribution to Professional Development training and Conferences
• Advice, consultation & liaison on relevant Legislative rights and responsibilities
• Advice, consultation & liaison on access requirements (Physical & IT)
• Staff management, supervision and training
• Budget planning and supervision
• Management of Disability Services Unit
• Resource Development, Education, Training and Awareness program development and presentation
• Cross-sectoral, government and community consultation, awareness and training

Minimum Recommended Remuneration Level:

Level 1 (Junior) Disability Practitioner: HEW Level 5/6 or equivalent

Level 2 (Intermediate) Disability Practitioner: HEW Level 7/8 or equivalent

Level 3 (Experienced) Disability Practitioner: HEW Level 9/10 or equivalent

Level 4 (Senior) Disability Practitioner: SAO 1/2 or equivalent