Resources to support the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework

Current project

Update 18 March 2024: We are recruiting people to be part of a focus group/interview for this study. Find out more.

We are developing resource materials to support the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework for universities and other education providers.

The Framework was made with the Department of Health and Aged Care. It will be released in 2024.

The Framework sets out what students studying to be health professionals should learn about intellectual disability health. Health professionals are people who help you take care of your health such as doctors, nurses, and dentists.

Why the resources are needed

Students studying to be health professionals do not learn enough about intellectual disability to provide quality care to people with intellectual disabilities.

The amount of information taught has not changed in over 20 years.

The resource materials will help educators use the Framework so they can teach students about health care for people with intellectual disabilities. 

What we are doing

We will create a number of resources, including:

  • A list of intellectual disability health resources for educators to use.
  • New materials such as teaching plans and case studies. 
  • A toolkit for educators to include people with intellectual disability and their support networks in teaching. 

The project is run in a co-designed way. People with lived experience are advising us through all stages of the process.

What we aim to achieve

We hope that the materials made in this project will support health students to become better future health professionals when working with people with intellectual disability. 

More background about this project can be found at the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Consultations 

Consultations with the education sector

Letters of support

Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand

 

Students' experiences and preferences regarding intellectual disability health education

We are looking at how students studying to become health professionals would like to learn about intellectual disability and what resources they need. Students can take part in an online survey and/or consultation interview. For more information see our Participant Information Statements.

Co-teaching consultations

We are doing a research study to find out how people with intellectual disability and support network members want to be involved in co-teaching health content to students.

Co-teaching means teaching together with someone else.

We also want to know what supports they may need to be involved in co-teaching.

Who can take part?

People with intellectual disability who:

  1. are 18 years of age or older,
  2. have an intellectual disability,
  3. live in Australia,
  4. have experience with teaching students about intellectual disability or an interest in teaching, and
  5. can use Zoom to be part of the study.

OR

Support network members who:

  1. are 18 years of age or older,
  2. are a support person (paid or non-paid) of a person with intellectual disability,
  3. live in Australia,
  4. have experience with teaching students about intellectual disability or an interest in teaching, and
  5. can use Zoom to be part of the study. 

 

What does taking part involve?

Participants will be asked to be part of a focus group or interview if they agree to be part of the research. The focus group or interview will happen online through Zoom.

You can find more information in the Participant Information Statements:
 

People with intellectual disability

 

Support network members

 

Others (if needed)

 

Who can I contact?

If you would like to take part in the research study, contact Jenna Zhao at jenna.zhao@unsw.edu.au or on (02) 9065 1742 during business hours. Business hours are 9am to 4pm on Monday to Friday.

You can also contact Jenna Zhao if you have questions about the research.

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