Exam adjustments and intersecting identities: accounts from Australian students

Updated Sep 07, 2026

Exam accommodations can interact with circumstances beyond a student's disability category. Lois Ruth Harris and colleagues examine that problem through Australian students' accounts. This briefing uses the publisher's abstract and accessible methods, findings and discussion sections; it is not a complete-paper review.

What the research examined

The authors selected 12 cases from a larger interview study at two Australian universities. Participants were registered with disability services and described additional identities or circumstances, including caring, paid employment, financial constraints and regional location.

The analysis considered structural, representational and political intersectionality. It identified difficulties proving the effects of intersecting circumstances, concerns about disclosure and other people's perceptions, and policies that recognised some needs while overlooking others.

The authors recommend building flexibility into exams where possible, reducing reliance on individual accommodations, and allowing staff to develop solutions with students. These accounts surface concerns; they do not measure their prevalence across universities. Students who could not or chose not to register with disability services may have different experiences.

A local review question

Our practical suggestion is to review the whole route from requesting an adjustment to taking an assessment. Invite students to identify repeated explanations, unclear decisions or arrangements that do not fit their circumstances. Let them choose what to disclose and how their accounts may be used.

Discuss the resulting themes with disability advisers, assessment staff and student representatives. A thematic summary should support that conversation, with appropriate confidentiality; it should not determine an individual's needs or establish whether an institution has met its legal obligations. The governance checklist offers questions about handling such evidence.

FAQ

Does this establish a UK-wide pattern?

No. It is an Australian qualitative study, with selected cases and important limits on whose experiences were included.

Is the recommendation simply to offer more individual adjustments?

No. The authors also recommend flexibility in assessment design and scope for staff to work with students on solutions.

Reference

Harris, L. R., Tai, J., Mahoney, P., Dargusch, J., Bearman, M., & Ajjawi, R. (2025, online; 2026, issue). An intersectional analysis of students with disabilities’ exam experiences. Teaching in Higher Education, 31(2), 304–322. Paper source.

Correction, 7 September 2026: Clarified the selected-case sample, removed an unverified quotation and legal implications, and narrowed the headline to the study's scope.