Enhancing Student Disclosure: Australia’s Invisible Equity Students and Reasons for Nondisclosure in Australia’s Tertiary Sector

Abstract

Many students in tertiary institutions who are eligible for equity consideration and accommodations decide not to disclose their equity status. Discussions of equity disclosure concern fears of stigma, questions of purpose, and the relationship between visibility of equity status and disclosure. This paper reports on the concept of self-disclosure of equity group membership at university. This study is the result of an investigation of the factors that encourage domestic students from identified equity groups to self-disclose this information to higher education providers. The project considers three key equity groups: * Students with disabilities * Indigenous students * Domestic students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) An understanding of nondisclosure would inform future policy and program design to encourage disclosure of hidden subpopulations with specific needs. In this article, we review the literature on disclosure, considering common themes and discussions around these three equity groups. We report on preliminary findings from a survey of university equity service staff on their perceptions of reasons for nondisclosure. When the study is complete, with student surveys and interview/focus group data, the information will be used to generate guidelines to help universities plan equity support measures, allocate appropriate resources and train staff.