About Us
Who are we?
The National Disabled Students’ Association (NDSA) is a non-partisan national body that represents disabled tauira and aims to challenge the collective barriers facing disabled tauira within the tertiary education space.
We strongly believe that we are not disabled by our impairments, but by the barriers that society place on us. It has long been understood that tertiary education can be a disabling environment, and so NDSA seeks to ensure that our voices are heard in addressing these issues. NDSA follows the mantra of the wider disability movement, “Nothing About Us Without Us”
How do we understand disablity?
To be disabled, or to have a disability, refers to a diverse and complex phenomenon. Disability reflects the interaction between an individual's impairment and the barriers of their environment. This includes- but is not limited to- physical impairment, mental health and psychological conditions, learning and/or sensory forms of impairment, neurodiversity, chronic illness, individuals within the Deaf community, etc.
What do we do?
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Host community events to connect the disabled student cohort on topics that matter to them
Support disabled student leaders to establish and grow their own local community, often through student clubs or associations
Train disabled student leaders, covering topics such as on governance, advocacy, and facilitation
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Support disabled students accessing their local disability support services and complaints pathways
Write submissions to government on legislation and policy that impacts to the disability and tertiary education sector
Amplify disabled student voice on committees and advisory groups for different organisations, such as NZQA, TEC, Committee on University Student Pastoral Care and more
Represent disabled student voice at conferences, notably Festival for the future, Student Voice Symposium Australia, Disability Inclusive Pathways.
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Work to investigate the state of Tertiary education for disabled learners. e.g. our research into student wellbeing and our research with tertiary education agencies
Partner with external organisations to improve their accessibility to disabled students