We have developed resource materials to support the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework (opens in a new tab) for universities and other education providers.

The Framework was made with the Department of Health and Ageing.

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 disability.

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

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

What we are doing

We have created several resources, including:

• Materials such as written case studies and case study films, lecture and tutorial plans, a role play scenario and example assessment questions. 
• A co-education toolkit with information for educators on how they can best work with lived experience educators.

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

Click here to see the full list of resources and download for free (opens in a new tab).

What we aim to achieve

We hope 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, Disability and Ageing website (opens in a new tab).

Consultations with the education sector

Letter of support from Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand (opens in a new tab)

Students' experiences and preferences regarding intellectual disability health education:  Summary of our findings (opens in a new tab)

Co-teaching consultations

We asked people with intellectual disability and their carers, family and supporters how they want to be involved in co-teaching health content to students.

Co-teaching means teaching together with someone else.

Thank you to all those who took part.

Here is a summary of what people told us:
Summary of our findings (opens in a new tab)
Summary of our findings – Easy Read (opens in a new tab)

Watch a video about the project