Which students are included in the NCCD under the definitions?

Students should be included in the NCCD where:

1. the student’s impairment meets the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) broad definition of disability and
2. the functional impact of the student’s disability results in the school actively addressing or supporting the student’s specific individual education needs arising from their disability within quality differentiated teaching practice and/or monitoring the student, or providing a supplementary or higher level of adjustment or support.

The NCCD is not intended to count every student who is protected from discrimination under the DDA, including students who have a health or other condition where their condition does not impact on their ability to participate in schooling on the same basis as their peers.

Where the student’s condition does not have a functional impact on their schooling or require monitoring for individual adjustments, the student is not included in the NCCD. For example, a student who wears glasses to correct mild vision impairment and needs no further educational assessment, monitoring or support in relation to their eyesight, is not included in the data collection.

The definition of disability under the DDA and obligations under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) includes those students with disability who are supported by general resources available within the school as well as students who are receiving targeted specialist education services and supports.

Students with disability as defined under the DDA and the Standards are in mainstream or regular schools as well as special schools and specialist support classes and include:

• students who have disability formally diagnosed by a health or allied health practitioner
• students who may not have a formal disability diagnosis but have impairment that requires an adjustment or can be supported through quality differentiated teaching
• students with intellectual, physical, sensory and social/emotional disability as well as students with difficulties in learning or behaviour due to disability
• students who are gifted and talented and who are impacted by disability.

Students with a disability confirmation or verification who are receiving targeted, specialist supports are only a subset of those students who may be included in the NCCD. For this reason, it is important for schools to have processes in place to identify whether the student who is receiving an adjustment meets the DDA definition of disability and the school’s obligations under the Standards. Professional learning about the DDA and the Standards and ongoing discussion in the school will support teachers in identifying and responding to students with disability.