Opportunities to enhance success of students living with a disability: Insights from an Australian regional university

This study provides insights into the academic outcomes of students living with a disability at a regional Australian university from 2021-2023 via surveys and grades analysis. Students living with a disability had lower success rates (69 vs 84%) and GPAs (4.17 vs 4.36). Both declined as the number of equity group factors increased, highlighting cumulative disadvantage. The rising proportion of students with disabilities studying at higher education institutions necessitates sustainable support service models to ensure equitable access to education and opportunities for success. Students living with a disability were on average three times more likely to receive a zero-fail grade (10.2% vs 3.4%), irrespective of their study mode and accounted for 20.2% of all students who accessed academic skills support. This analysis will inform future data-driven approaches, awareness, and targeted interventions. Challenges including underreporting, institutional differences in reporting, and incomplete data highlight the need for improved data quality.