Faculty initiatives and plans
Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning
At the time of development of the DIAP 2026-2029, the Faculty was in the process of finalising its new Diversity and Inclusion Plan. A dedicated web page captures the range of diversity and inclusion related activities underway in the Faculty. The annual Festival of Diversity and Inclusion held by the Faculty includes a strong focus on accessibility and design, including in 2025 a sensory mapping project identifying specific accessibility and sensory environment issues within and around the Glyn Davis Building that will inform future improvements. The Faculty also hosts the annual Ableist Cities Symposium, which showcases innovation and research in accessible and inclusive design.
Faculty of Arts
Diversity and Inclusion is embedded in the Faculty of Arts’ broader strategy. A dedicated Deputy Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusion (Disability) role has been established to help drive disability specific initiatives in the Faculty including establishing a Faculty network of staff with disability, Disability at Work Network (DAWN). The next phase of the Disability at Work Network will include establishing an Ally Network. The Faculty has had a strong focus on digital accessibility, including promoting tools and modules to support teaching staff to ensure that the LMS is accessible for all students.
Faculty of Business and Economics
Diversity and inclusion is one of five strategic priority areas for the Faculty, supported by a disability inclusion subgroup of the Faculty’s Diversity and Inclusion committee. The Faculty has established a Disability Inclusion Network which has informed a range of Faculty initiatives, including the establishment of a sensory room and a quiet zone guide, and supporting the pilot of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program in partnership with the Faculty of Education.
Planned future initiatives include new accessibility audits of Faculty buildings; expanding the Faculty’s Internship Access Stream Program for students with disability; establishing a mentoring program; delivering inclusive teaching training for staff; promoting the availability of a support service toolkit for students with disability; and delivering targeted events for students with disability to enhance employability skills and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging within the Faculty.
Faculty of Education
Diversity and inclusion in the Faculty is overseen by a dedicated Faculty committee. Disability related initiatives have included the implementation of mandatory Universal Design for Learning training for learning and teaching staff, a Disability Research Collaboration in partnership with the Melbourne Disability Institute, and pilot of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program in partnership with the Faculty of Business and Economics. The Faculty’s Diversity and Inclusion Podcast series includes podcasts on Universal Design for Learning. The Faculty has also developed its own Inclusive Language Guide.
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
Diversity and inclusion is one of six values under the Faculty’s 2035 Strategy. The Faculty has had a particular focus on neurodiversity, holding a neurodiversity forum for Faculty staff and students in 2024 and exploring opportunities to build sensory rooms in its Melbourne Connect building. In 2026, the Faculty will hold its first Accessibility Hackathon, bringing together Faculty students, staff, and professional teams to identify barriers to physical and digital accessibility and co-design solutions.
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music
The Faculty’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2030 includes several aims, objectives, and actions in relation to accessibility. The Faculty is home to several significant initiatives in relation to the participation of people with disability in the Arts, including its partnership with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra on the Adaptive Music Bridging Program and its research program around making higher education in music more accessible.
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Diversity and inclusion in the Faculty is overseen by a dedicated Faculty committee. Initiatives include a Diversity and Inclusion Grants program, a Faculty Staff Disability Inclusion Network, and a Carer Network. Momentum Fellowships are available to support the research momentum and retention of Level B and C academic whose extraordinary personal circumstances, including disability, have impacted their career progression. The Faculty also offers Career Continuity Grants for early career researchers to support research momentum following career disruption before, during, and following a period of parental leave and is exploring opportunities to further strengthen this support to recognise a broader range of circumstances, including disability.
Faculty of Science
The Faculty has a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan overseen by a dedicated Faculty committee. A key area of focus for the committee is continually improving access and support for Faculty staff and students with disability. This includes a commitment to building capacity within the Faculty around neurodiversity.
Melbourne Law School
The School has dedicated Equal Opportunity Liaison Officers for students, including a Liaison Officer for students with disability. The School’s Student Equality and Wellbeing Committee provides a forum for staff and students to discuss issues related to equality and wellbeing and acts as a conduit to provide advice, assistance, and recommendations to the School. In 2025, the School launched a Disability Inclusive Law and Policy Hub.