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Australia Awards in Indonesia

The Australia Awards are prestigious, transformational scholarships and short courses offered to emerging leaders for study, research and professional development in Australia

Accessibility Information

People with Disability

People with disability who are otherwise eligible are encouraged to apply for an Australia Awards Scholarship. Under Australian law, disability includes physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological, and learning disabilities, physical disfigurement, and the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms.

Reasonable accommodations will be made based on needs assessments to enable applicants, scholars and alumni with disability an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the program at all stages. AAI will consider providing additional support to returning scholars with disability to facilitate their transition back to Indonesia. The Program will also consider integrating on-award activities that connect scholars with disability with Australian institutions, such as non-government organisations and disabled people’s organisations that operate in Indonesia and may be able to offer internships in Australia and/or advice on career opportunities in Indonesia.

Please check the infographic below to find out about the scholarship application and mobilisation for scholars with disability. The applicants/scholars need to disclose their disability in the application form. Australia Awards will provide reasonable adjustments for applicants and scholars with disability during the shortlisting, selection and mobilisation processes.

Mobilisation Process Infographic

For a plain-text version of the above steps, please click here.

Award pre-application stage 

DFAT's Development for All strategy commits the Australian aid program to meet the needs and priorities of people with disability. In line with this commitment, Australia Awards strongly encourages applications from people with disability who are otherwise eligible for a Scholarship. Since the 2013 round, the number of people with disability applying for Australia Awards Scholarships has increased by almost 140%. However, because English language abilities are one of the significant barriers for prospective applicants, the pool of eligible applicants with disability is relatively low compared to the high numbers of Indonesians living with disability.

Australia Awards in Indonesia conducts the English Language Training Assistance (ELTA) to support these potential applicants. The program assists potential candidates from the equity target provinces, and potential applicants with disability from all over Indonesia whose English language levels were slightly below the requisite English level (IELTS level of 5.0) to help them achieve eligibility to apply.

English Language Training Assistance students from the Geographic Focus Areas, including the applicants with disability, prepare their English language skills to apply for the Australia Awards Postgraduate Scholarships.
English Language Training Assistance students from the equity target provinces, including those with disability, prepare their English language skills to apply for the Australia Awards Scholarships.

Award pre-mobilisation stage

All successful Australia Awards Scholarships applicants must attend Pre-departure Training (PDT) courses, including those with a disability.

For scholars with disabilities, "reasonable adjustment" is provided based on creating and implementing Disability Support Agreements (DSA). The Australia Awards Disability Support process begins with a Disability Assessment, covering the key themes including transport, accommodation, care, communication and academic environment. Based on this assessment, a Disability Support Plan is created through a consultative process, culminating in a DSA between the scholars and DFAT, implemented by the host university in Australia.

On-Award support

Australian education providers are obliged to make "reasonable adjustments" to the learning environment to support the full inclusion of scholars with disabilities for equal opportunity. The adjustments are made from an agreed assessment before mobilisation, after which a support plan is developed.

Post-Award support

After completing their study, scholars will become a part of a more extensive and inclusive Australian alumni community. Alumni will get many opportunities to participate in various activities such as professional development, networking events, guest lectures, etc. When attending related events, alumni with disability are requested to notify Australia Awards to accommodate support needs. Alumni will also get membership access to the Australia – Indonesia Alumni Forum on LinkedIn. The Forum is a place for alumni to connect, facilitate business opportunities, share knowledge, and exchange ideas, obtain information about internship and employment opportunities, and participate in professional development activities on a national and global scale.

Quote from Suryandaru, Master of Disability Policy and Practice candidate at Flinder University

 

“This scholarship will let me further explore social movements and the inclusion of marginalised groups in employment and provide networking opportunities.” Ekawati Liu, Co-founder of Tepian, a collective NGO that helps farmers, youth with disabilities and street children in Jakarta. She is PhD candidate in Social Science at Sydney University. She is the first person with a hearing impairment to receive an Australia Awards Indonesia scholarship.

Quote from Amrullah, Master of Laws candidate at The University of Melbourne.


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