Dr. Jane Hickey

Academic & Disability Advocate

LinkedIn Profile

PhD, MEd, GradDip Experiential Learning, BA Youth Work, Cert IV Disability & Cert IV TAE

About Jane

Jane Hickey is a Course Chair, Academic and Researcher in the College of Arts & Education at Victoria University with research interests in disability, youth work, inclusive education and accessible employment.

How improving disability access can benefit everyone | TEDxVictoriaUniversity

Jane completed her undergraduate studies at Victoria University with a Bachelor of Arts (Youth Work) in 2001. During her studies, she began working, supporting young people in accessing services and opportunities in their local communities.

Her roles included Housing support, Personal carer, Educational support officer, Respite and recreation worker, Disability instructor, and Assistant Manager of disability day service.

In 2010, Jane took the opportunity to use her training, skills and experience to invest back into the industry through education by facilitating and teaching in the Disability and Community Services qualifications, and then in the Youth Work and Education Support qualifications. Jane has experience working at the TAFE level and in Higher Education. A Bachelor of Arts (Youth Work), and Master of Education as well as specialised certificates in Disability and Training and Assessment have given Jane a breadth of knowledge and skills that have been complemented by 12 years of industry experience.

Jane's PhD thesis is entitled: "Am I Included?" - An Australian Case Study Exploring the Experiences of University Students with Hidden Disability.

Recent Work

Considering Autism: Using a Strengths-Based Approach.

Conference Presentation - 3 Dec 2023

In this keynote presentation, Jane describes the key principles of strengths based practice when working with Autistic young people.

Inclusion: Beyond a sense of belonging

Book Chapter - 1 Jan 2021

Corney, Timothy and Broadbent, Robyn, eds. (2021) Professional Youth Work: Principles, Practices and Priorities. Youth Workers Association, Melbourne Australia, pp. 1-180.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Tools.

Workshop - 7 Nov 2020

The webinar was presented by Jane Hickey and Sarah Jefferis in collaboration with YACVic and Victoria University. Youth Workers have an important role in supporting young people with disability and removing barriers. This webinar is centred around a young person’s lived experience and strategies to improve access and inclusion in youth services.

Inclusive teaching and learning: meeting the needs of Australian university students with ‘hidden disabilities’ in the classroom

Conference Paper - 5 Mar 2020

Australian universities have a legal and ethical responsibility to create inclusive learning environments for all students with disability. This article explores the understanding of ‘hidden disability’ amongst a group of Australian university academics and the triumphs and challenges they face as they strive to provide and foster an inclusive classroom.

Ethics and Human Rights in Professional Youth Work

Training Material - 17 June 2019

These professional development modules were created on the topic of Ethics and Human Rights in Professional Youth Work.

Understanding, Inclusion And Participation: A Manifesto For Policy And Practice With Young People With Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Article - 25 Jan 2019

This paper represents the distillation of themes from the conference and a manifesto for policy and practice that includes and engages young people with autism spectrum conditions by Breda Friel and Jane Hickey

How Improving Disability Access Can Benefit Everyone.

Presentation - 25 Jan 2019

Universal design principles benefit every member of the community. In this TEDx talk, Jane describes how we can all work together to build a more inclusive community.