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After years of disability-led advocacy by young people with cerebral palsy, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has released new exam provision guidelines that will make the HSC fairer and more accessible for students with disability.
For CPActive, this is more than a policy update. It’s proof of what’s possible when people with lived experience help shape the systems that affect their lives.
Co-design in action
Young people from CPActive have spent years driving this change – meeting with NSW Disability and Education Ministers and working directly with NESA to demonstrate how existing processes were creating unnecessary stress, barriers and inequity for students with cerebral palsy.
CPActive campaigner, Blaze the Trail ambassador and CPA client Sophie Geeves, 28, from Sydney, says the reforms mark a turning point.
“This is a huge moment for our CPActive community. This is what true co-design looks like – and it works,” Sophie said
“For too long, students with disabilities have had to fight just to get a fair go in their exams. And they’ve had to fight over and over again for the same thing every time a new set of exams rolls round.”
The new guidelines introduce long-called-for changes that will ease pressure on students and families during an already intense period. Importantly, the reforms will benefit not only students with cerebral palsy, but many students with disability more broadly.
“The new guidelines will reduce the stress facing students with disabilities and their families during what is already an intense time in their senior years,” Sophie said.
“The announcement from NESA demonstrates the power people with disabilities can have when we campaign together.”
What's changing and why it matters
One of the most significant reforms allows students to apply for exam provisions from Term 2 of Year 10, rather than waiting until their senior years. This earlier access means supports can be embedded well before the HSC, giving students time to practice using them and removing the uncertainty of last-minute applications.
Another major win is around the use of technology. A student with a permanent condition or disability like cerebral palsy will no longer have to consistently “prove” they can’t write – they will now just need to submit one medical and/or vision form, teacher comments and a student declaration. This has been a core focus of the Blaze the Trail campaign.
For students like Lachlan Woodfull, 18, from the Hunter Valley, the changes are life changing.
“The extra work it takes just to organise the right exam supports takes a huge toll on students and their families,” Lachlan said.
“I’ve experienced this first hand, where I’ve recently had no choice but to learn how to use a scribe instead of being able to use the technology I normally do. The new changes will mean that I can use my technology to complete my HSC exams, which is a huge relief.”
CPActive campaigner Riley Saban, 23, from Coffs Harbour, says the reforms recognise what students with disability have always known.
“I do all my learning through a device, so of course I need to use that same technology in the exam room,” Riley said. “Students like me shouldn’t have to reapply over and over for something as basic as this. Now it’s finally being recognised as standard practice, and that’s a big win.”
Other key changes include:
Removal of the requirement for ongoing medical evidence for lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy – reducing unnecessary admin and emotional toll on students and families.
For Sophie, who has been campaigning for these reforms since 2023, the impact is clear.
“These simple changes alone will make a real difference to so many students,” she said.
Blaze the Trail was launched by CPActive in 2022 to address systemic barriers faced by people with cerebral palsy in education, employment and the broader community. This NSW outcome shows what can be achieved when young people with disability lead advocacy for change.
But while we’re celebrating this win, the work isn’t finished.
From NSW success to national reform
Right now, access to fair exam provisions still depends on where students live. Outside NSW, there are no consistent national standards to ensure students with disability are supported equitably.
“Thanks to the success of our campaign in NSW, new exam guidelines have just been released – making the process of finishing school and beginning the next chapter of our lives fairer for students in NSW,” Sophie said.
“But there’s still a problem. There are no national standards to ensure students with disabilities across Australia have access to these supports.”
“Whether young people with disability have a fair experience in their journey from school to work is a postcode lottery. It’s time to change that.”
We’re now taking Blaze the Trail national, calling on all state and territory governments to commit to clear, consistent and enforceable guidelines for exam provisions for students with disability.
Add your voice!
If you support fair pathways from school to work for young people with disability, add your voice by signing our petition.
