The Student Services Disability & Dyslexia Team are working with academic staff to ensure that recommendations for variations in assessment take account of practical considerations and disciplinary demands while enabling students with disabilities to demonstrate their achievements in the most appropriate way. Please contact The Disability and Dyslexia Team (x3799) if you have any specific queries about assessment adjustments for students with disabilities.
As well as the general advice here, you will also find some information relating to assessment in the sections on specific categories of disability. However, every student is different and any adjustments recommended by the Disability & Dyslexia Team will be based on individual circumstances.
Any adjustments should be made with reference to GEAR Section G: Assessment of students with a disabilityto ensure that these conform to university requirements and The Disability Discrimination Act (Parts 4 and 5a) You can download here an explanation of the 'The Process of Passing Information to Schools' and Guide to Schools on Acting on D&DT Recommendations.
Introduction
Common adjustments to assessment tend to fall into one of three categories (click on link for further details and advice)
- Extra time or minor variations to standard assessment
- Use of helpers or assistive technology
- Alternative assessment tasks
The Disability and Dyslexia Team have also produced some helpful guidelines which can be downloaded here
- Good practice in presentation of examination papers
- Language modification of examination papers
- Marking written work by students diagnosed with dyslexia
Advance planning
It is vital for course tutors and students to know as soon as possible about any special arrangements needed. If a student is using specialist equipment or a support worker, they will also need to plan how to use this support most effectively under examination conditions. An early discussion between the student and Disability & Dyslexia Support staff should be followed by a written agreement so that everyone knows what to expect, and any technical support or separate room and invigilation procedures can be arranged.
External advice and resources
Most of the materials on teaching students with disabilities include a section on assessment, though some simply suggest alternatives without offering practical guidance for staff or discussing the implications in any detail. The following however offer more comprehensive advice: (Just four sites, Chris – DEMOS and Sheffield and the Aussie ones. Scrap the rest)
- Australian National University Alternative Assessment for Students with Disabilities
- Australian National University Managing Oral Examinations for Students with Disabilities
- DEMOS Online module on assessment arrangements for disabled students (The info on this site is still relevant, although the site has not been updated since 2003)
- Sheffield Hallam: Accessible Assessment a practical guide to help review your assessment processes in a systematic way
Next page: Extra time or minor variations to standard assessment