The Up the Hill Project

Join the Up the Hill Project

Inclusion for people with a disability in University

The Up the Hill Project, supported by the Flinders University College of Nursing and Health Sciences, encourages the participation of adults with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disability, in the social and educational life of Flinders University.

The Project aims to provide an inclusive and supportive opportunity at Flinders University enabling people with a disability, with support from a Peer Mentor, to access the University environment, develop social skills and social networks, and experience a range of educational opportunities and activities.

Our research

Enquire

Join our team

We are currently recruiting for a new Up the Hill Project, Project Officer. Applications close January 29, 2023.

Apply here

Why you should join the Up the Hill Project

Improve your learning in a positive, inclusive and supportive environment
Increase your range of interests and knowledge
Develop your social networks
Benefit from interaction with academic staff and students
Develop your self-esteem and self-confidence
Exercise your right to ongoing education
Explore your interests and exercise your choice for continued learning.

News

Up the Hill celebrates 25 years

One of only two programs of its kind in Australia, the Up the Hill Project has celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Emceed by graduates Ruby Nankivell and Tim Cahalan, the celebration highlighted many of the program’s success stories, with participants sharing their experiences and achievements.

Celebrating 20 years of changing lives

The 20 years celebration event, held on 18 June 2019, celebrated our trailblazing inclusive university program that has been supporting people with intellectual disability for over 20 years

It was attended by past and present students, mentors, family members as well as staff working in the program and special guests in the disability sector.

Disability Royal Commission Public Hearing

Up the Hill Project, Academic Project Advisor Dr Fiona Rillotta gave evidence to the Disability Royal Commission Public Hearing 31: Vision for an inclusive Australia in December 2022. Listen to the recording below.

Listen here

What do you need to participate in the project?

A diagnosed disability and are eligible to receive NDIS services

An interest in attending university

Able to make choices from the available University topics

Social skills for educational and social settings

The person must be able to arrange their own travel to and from the University

The person must be able to arrange and care for immediate personal needs, which may include assistance from a support worker

Hear from our participants

Research

Publications

Wedgewood, N., O'Donovan, M., Rillotta, F. (In Press). Australia's Moral, Legal and Policy Obligations to Include People with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education. View Point. Access: Critical explorations of equity in higher education

Rillotta, F., O'Donovan, M. (In Press). Inclusion of People with Intellectual Disability in University in Australia: Impetus for Change. Chapter 17. In Joseph W. Madaus & Lyman L. Dukes (Eds) Handbook of Higher Education and Disability.

Gobec, C., Rillotta, F., & Raghavendra, P. (2022). Where to next? Experiences of adults with intellectual disability after they complete a university program. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities DOI:10.1111/jar.13000

Rillotta, F., Gobec, C., & Gibson-Pope, C. (2022). Experiences of Mentoring University Students with an Intellectual Disability as Part of a Practicum Placement. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning DOI:10.1080/13611267.2022.2070991

Gobec, C., Turnbull, M., & Rillotta, F., (2021). Lessons Learnt from Transitioning to Online Mentoring and Learning at University during COVID-19 for Adults with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities

Rillotta, F., Lindsay, L., & Gibson-Pope, C. (2021). The Work Integrated Learning Experience of a University Student with Intellectual Disability: A Descriptive Case Study. International Journal of Inclusive Education DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2021.1937343

Rillotta, F., Lindsay, L., Raghavendra, P. (2019). Journey “Up the Hill” through Inclusive Higher Education for People with Intellectual Disability at a South Australian University: Scope, Challenges and Outcomes to Date and into the Future. Chapter 10. In P. O’Brien, M. L. Bonati, F. Gadow & R. Slee (Eds) People with intellectual disability experiencing university life. p.155.

Messenger, K., Lindsay, L., Rillotta, F. (2019). Journey Up the Hill to My Hopes and Dreams. Chapter 11. In P. O’Brien, M. L. Bonati, F. Gadow & R. Slee (Eds) People with intellectual disability experiencing university life. p. 173.

Rillotta, F., Arthur, J.K., Hutchinson, C. and Raghavendra, P. (2018). Inclusive university experience in Australia: Perspectives of students with intellectual disability and their mentors. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, DOI: 10.1177/1744629518769421

Lobban MJ (2002) A Journey of Self-Discovery: inclusion of individuals with intellectual disability in university.
Unpublished Honours Thesis, Flinders University, Australia.

Gibson CJ (1997) The Next Step: a pilot study of inclusive university education for a selected group of people
with an intellectual disability. Unpublished Honours Thesis, Flinders University, Australia.

National Disability Research Project Partnership

People with intellectual disability going to university in Australia:

For more information, please visit the Research in Disability and Community Inclusion website.

Presentations

Inclusive Higher Education at an Australian University: Perspectives of Students With Intellectual Disability and Their Mentors.

Grantley J (2000) Towards inclusion in university of people with intellectual disabilities. In: InternationalSpecial Education Congress (ISEC) 2000: Including the Excluded, University of Manchester, UK.

What research we're working on

Research summaries were developed with Tim Adam, a Research Advisor with intellectual disability. For six months, Tim worked at Flinders University and worked with researchers.

Tim provided feedback, helped the researchers write things in different ways and helped find pictures. The booklet of research summaries is what Tim helped the Up the Hill Project researchers to make. It talks about six different research projects that have been done about the Up the Hill Project. It is written in Easy English style.

Download the Up the Hill Project - Accessible Research Summaries booklet

Our research projects

What do adults with intellectual disability and the mentors think about the Up the Hill Project University Program? (2018)

An Up the Hill Project students completing work experience (2016)

What do university lecturers think about including students with intellectual disability? (2018)

Why do people with an intellectual disability choose to come to university? (2018)

What do adults with intellectual disability do after they finish the Up the Hill Project University Program? (2019)

What do mentors think about the Up The Hill Project? (2020)

I'm so excited to have crossed the floor yesterday and graduated from Flinders. The three years I spent there was thoroughly fulfilling and an enriching experience. I learnt new things about topics I've researched over and over again before starting out at Flinders.

Tim, Up the Hill Project Graduate

What do Up the Hill Project students do?

Goal setting

Mentors and the coordinator assist participants to set and achieve goals. Examples of some goals are to:

increase your social network by meeting and talking to new people
learn something new about a topic of interest that you can share with friends and family
build your confidence by putting your hand up and joining in on class discussions.

Auditing topics

Participants audit one topic during each University semester, two topics a year and six topics over three years.

The Up the Hill Project is not just about auditing topics, participants have the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, join in social activities and much more!

Auditing a topic means participants can experience university life. Participants can: