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Schools and examining bodies have to be aware of the legislation surrounding disability when looking at the logistics of the new qualifications. We explain the crucial points
When drawing up a new set of qualifications, examination boards must be mindful of the disability discrimination legislation, to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged by the requirements of assessment.
Discrimination could take place in one of two ways: by disabled students being treated "less favourably" than others, or by examiners failing to make a "reasonable adjustment" when students are placed at a "substantial disadvantage" to others because of their impairment.
In order to have rights under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), an individual must meet the definition of criteria set out in the legislation: "A person has a disability that is covered by the Act if s/he has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on her/his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities."
These can include sensory impairments, learning difficulties such as dyslexia, autism and Asperger's syndrome, and mental health conditions. It can also include progressive illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV, and conditions such as pain, fatigue or memory loss.
Part 4 of the DDA places a duty on educational bodies to ensure that disabled candidates do not receive less favourable treatment, and that reasonable adjustments are made to remove any substantial disadvantage experienced by disabled students.
When drawing up criteria, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority works with subject experts to decide what skills are needed for a learner to gain a GCSE. Although they take into account disability, some of the criteria may still exclude some candidates from completing them where a skill is an integral part of the qualifications. For example, a candidate who has been deaf from birth may be unable to demonstrate speaking skills in a foreign language.
The Joint Council for Qualifications represents all awarding bodies on the issue of disability discrimination to ensure that all students are treated fairly across the board, regardless of whose specification they study.
OCR has a checking procedure in place to ensure it does not introduce, unwittingly, any additional barriers which might disadvantage disabled students. Its department for access arrangements works to enable students to show what they know and can do, for example by making special arrangements for anyone who cannot access the assessment in the usual way.
This could range from making questions available in larger print or Braille, or different coloured scripts, to tests with modified language, for example to help people who have been deaf from birth to understand the questions.
Helen Eccles, OCR's assistant director, standards and development, said: "We routinely circulate advice to our senior examiners on how to write questions that provide maximum accessibility, and we have also trained senior examiners to be aware of issues faced by disabled students.
"We also check the use of visual material in question papers to ensure any diagrams or pictures are a necessary part of the question or can be reproduced accurately in modified papers."
In some cases, candidates may be awarded up to 25 per cent additional time to complete the tasks, or they may be assigned a reader or scribe who will assist them in completing the tasks. For example, if the subject criteria require the student to demonstrate particular skills, such as a practical experiment in a science lab, but the candidate is unable to use their hands to carry out the task, a practical assistant could be used to complete the experiment.
The student would get marks based on all of their work around the practical element, such as the design of the experiment and analysis of the results, but they would not get marks for the work undertaken by the assistant. The learner must be able to demonstrate the skills required to meet the subject criteria, as if they cannot, they cannot get the marks for that part of the assessment. This is currently under review.
Examination boards can also sanction supervised rest breaks, the use of a bilingual dictionary, or the use of a computer or other technology.
They may also give "special consideration" to candidates who find themselves in difficult circumstances on the day of their examination.
This might include, for example, health issues, such as an incapacitating illness, the flare up of a severe congenital condition such as epilepsy, diabetes or asthma, or a broken limb.
Special consideration is also given to candidates who have suffered a recent bereavement, a domestic crisis or car accident.
Schools must consult with the examination board about whether a candidate is eligible for special consideration before applying any measures themselves, and before the candidate sits the assessment.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 View other articles written by Michelle Hughes(20)
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