Disclaimer: Khanh Tran is one of the current USyd SRC Disabilities Officers.
Following the NSW Government’s response to the campaign for transport concessions, disabled students at the University of Sydney and many others have voiced frustrations at the dearth of information about eligibility exemptions.
Our analysis of publicly available information on NSW universities’ websites on transport concessions reveals a deeply inconsistent patchwork of information and access to instructions on how to access exemptions, leading to students missing out on more affordable fares under Transport NSW.
According to Transport NSW’s 12-page eligibility guideline, students who cannot undertake a full-time study load due to their disability are eligible for the exemption, subject to certification from a disability support officer from the students’ home university.
The guideline also compels universities and all tertiary institutions to retain “complete and accurate” records of all students deemed eligible for travel concession as a result of disability. In response to a data request from DisCo, the University said that 117 part-time transport concession exemption applications were approved by USyd between 2019 – 2023, working out to an average of 23 per year.
With more than 11,400 part-time students, the majority of which are postgraduates, if one were to apply the current ratio of students with disability at USyd (11 per cent) to the part-time community, then there are more than 1270 potentially eligible students under the disability exemption alone. This makes for a powerful case for Sydney University and other universities in NSW to overhaul information pathways and disability services.
Patchwork of information and absence of clear instructions
A snap poll conducted by Honi on 22 April, consisting of 140 responses, showed that a staggering 80 per cent of students were unaware that some part-time students with disability were eligible for transport concession in NSW – in other words, that the disability exemption existed at all.
Universities across NSW vary widely in how information regarding eligibility for transport concession is provided. Given that the exemption explicitly requires the intervention of universities’ disability support officers.
On Sydney University’s transport concessions online guide, information is scant, save for a new update in direct response to Honi’s request. The newly updated information advises students that where domestic students “have a medical condition or disability” that prevents them from being able to commit to a full-time load, they might be eligible to register with USyd’s Inclusion and Disability Services (IDS) where transport concession eligibility “can be reviewed”. Other than this, information is relatively sparse.
A similar situation is present in USyd’s Knowledge Base compendium of frequently asked questions. When Disabled Honi searched for ‘concession’ or ‘Opal’, the compendium points to cases where students are advised that their Opal will be blocked.
Changes were made to how information was presented in Inclusion and Disability Services compared to design overhauls made between 2016 and 2017. Prior to 2017, IDS provided instructions on its main support site on accessing transport concessions, albeit this information was displayed towards the bottom of the extensive page.
“How do I request a travel concession? Contact your Disability Officer to discuss. If approved, you will be asked to come in with your Student ID card and a concession sticker will be provided to you,” reads an archival record of IDS’ website dated to 2012.
By 2017, the instructions disappeared together with the bulk of information in line with reforms introduced to improve the visual navigability of the University’s online presence. Disabled Honi understands that the stickers were phased out following changes over the years.
In contrast, the University of New South Wales and Western Sydney University (WSU) offer better information and instructions. On UNSW’s website, the disability exemption on full-time enrolment is clearly signposted together with an explanatory note directing potentially eligible students to contact UNSW’s Disability Advisor.
In addition to this, UNSW’s design features a frequently asked questions section where a wider range of queries such as cross-institutional study are addressed.
Similarly, WSU presents a comprehensive guide on how to navigate the exemption, with an expressly identified Disability Declaration for Concession Opal Card form available through its Disability Services.
Students express anger at the lack of clear information pathways from Disability Services
Frustration is being felt across the university community over USyd’s lack of initiative and clear information pathways to inform students about more nuanced eligibility rules such as the disability exemption.
Gemma Hudson, a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student who has been studying part-time for a year and currently taking a semester off university due to the impact of arthritis. When she went part-time last year, she did not receive notifications or information related to the possibility of being eligible for transport concession under the disability exemption.
“At the very best, it’s an oversight because clearly there are so many things that rely on people being full-time students to have access to them and certain benefits like Centrelink. Being a student, particularly a student with a disability can be challenging,” Hudson told Honi.
“I never learned how to drive because I have joint pain and doing things like pressing pedals was painful for me so I rely on public transport or walking to get to places. So I think it’s illogical to not have that information accessible because it’s clearly important.”
Hudson is also currently registered with USyd’s Inclusion and Disability Services. However, she notes that she has only interacted with IDS at the beginning of her registration and has not had the need for a substantive follow up since.
Hudson is far from alone, with Isabel James, a third-year Bachelor of Communications student from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) who has changed to part-time enrolment as of this semester. In her first year in 2021, she was struck with COVID-19 and never fully recovered since being hit with four more COVID infections in “quick succession”. She has also been seeing a neurologist due to daily migraines she has been experiencing and so far, her doctors have said that hers is a “medical mystery”.
James is currently registered with UTS’ Accessibility Service. Despite this, she has not received information from UTS on possible eligibility under Transport NSW’s disability exemption. She laments the dearth of information and the processes involved as universities and governments impose a de facto “disability tax” whereby students have to repeatedly advocate for themselves and navigate byzantine administrative mazes to access adjustments.
“I’ve had to argue and advocate for myself, and I think that’s something that people with chronic illness have to do. It’s really exhausting and demoralising as well,” said James.
“I think a better solution is since I’m already registered with Accessibility UTS, for people like me who’ve already done one [registration with UTS Accessibility Service] then that would just make us eligible for the concessions. We shouldn’t have to jump through more hoops.”
Both Hudson and Isabel want their respective universities to do better in providing accessible information, and crucially, instructions on the steps part-time disabled students need to take to access the exemption. This is important because doctors need to know precisely what is being requested by Inclusion & Disability Services and Transport NSW.
“It makes me really tired all the time, having to step through a lot of processes. It’s easier if you know exactly what things are ahead of time. For example, my main treating professional is for arthritis. I only see them every six months. If I want to get a form done, I need to know what information so I can make sure I bring or book that extra appointment. All of these processes require extra planning and when you have to dig through for that information, I think that’s extra frustrating,” Hudson said.
The pair are united in their belief that universities could do far better than under the status quo. Hudson points to enrolment periods as a crucial window when the university could send through communications informing students of alternative arrangements such as Transport NSW’s disability exemption. In a similar vein, James concurs, raising that disabled students already shoulder a substantial administrative burden to adjust to life in environments largely designed for non-disabled people, it would be unjust to add further barriers for students.
“If, for example, I had been informed when I went part-time because I did notify the University on two different channels. If there was information and clear steps available, I think I would be more inclined to seek that out as a solution for myself rather than go down a wild goose chase.”
In response to DisCo’s request for clarifications on the exemptions, USyd’s Inclusion and Disability Services confirms that it “can provide students with disability with access to the Opal travel concession”. The Service says that the exemption is only available for domestic students who are “engaged in part-time study due to the impacts of their disability”, in line with Transport NSW’s guidelines on exemptions for disabled students.
“As part of this process, we ask students to provide documentation from their treating professional to verify that their disability makes it difficult for the student to undertake a full-time load. This is available to students with any disability.”
University promises better information accessibility going forward
The University said that it understands students’ “uncertainty” about their concession status and that support is available and is “committed to ensuring all students have equal access to learning”.
“We agree it would be helpful to improve the information on our website about transport concessions available for domestic students with a disability. We thank Honi for bringing this to our attention and have updated our website accordingly,” a University spokesperson told Honi.
“We tailor our support for students with a disability to the individual, responding to each student’s needs and queries, including questions about transport and concessions, in their registration consultation with Inclusion and Disability Services. We encourage any students who are uncertain about their entitlements to reach out to Inclusion and Disability Services.”
Sydney University also confirmed to Honi that students’ medical data, including their disability, will not be accessible to Transport NSW.
This follows a petition from the NSW Greens and USyd student organisations that secured more than 20,000 signatures and drew a statement from the NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen indicating no future policy changes.
A parliamentary debate has been set for Thursday 9 May 2024 at 4:30 PM (AEST). Students who are interested in the proceedings are encouraged to attend virtually via Live Webcasts or in-person together with the USyd SRC and SUPRA.
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How to access transport concession as a part-time student with disability
If you are a part-time student with a disability and you are studying part-time due to your condition, you may be eligible to access transport concessions in NSW. Before applying, you must ensure that you fulfil all other essential criteria on citizenship and residency as only domestic students are currently eligible. Follow the steps below to apply for transport concession in NSW:
- Follow the steps to register with the University of Sydney’s Inclusion and Disability Services. This requires the following:
- Supporting medical documentation from your treating medical practitioner indicating the impact of your disability and any adjustments required.
- If you do not already have one, obtain medical documentation from your treating medical practitioner verifying that, due to your disability, you cannot undertake a full-time study load (defined as 18 or more credit points per semester at the University of Sydney).
- Request a meeting with IDS’ Disability Officer. Discuss with your Disability Officer about your part-time enrollment, your condition, and ask about NSW’s transport concessions program.
Please note that data submitted to IDS will be retained only by the University and will not be accessible to Transport NSW.
Contact the University’s Inclusion and Disability Services here:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 2 8627 8485
