Accessible Assessments
The Disability Discrimination Act Part 4 (SENDA) requires that 'reasonable adjustments' are made to the curriculum where disabled students will be placed at a disadvantage. An institution is not required to act where such an adjustment will compromise academic or other prescribed standards. However, the choice to make 'no change' would need to be considered on a case-to-case basis and clearly demonstrated as it can be challenged in law.
The challenge is how does this translate into practice with regards to Assessments?
The following may help academic staff to determine a strategy for ensuring that assessments do not discriminate against those with disabilities:
What do I want to assess and which mode(s) of assessment will I use?
What are the learning outcomes?
Which assessment modes are best suited to test them?
Will disabled students be able to fully access my chosen mode of assessment?
Does the chosen mode of assessment pose a barrier to disabled students?
No : Implement the assessment.
Yes : How and why? Go to next question to make appropriate change.
How do I change my assessments to ensure it is accessible to disabled students?
You have four available choices:
- Change of assessment circumstance i.e. ensure accessibility through an intervention that does not change the proposed assessment e.g. use coloured paper, additional time etc.
- Assessment modification e.g. use on-line group activity rather than in person.
- Alternative assessment i.e. substitute the proposed assessment with an alternative e.g. essay instead of presentation.
- Make no change on the grounds of maintaining academic standards. However this can be challenged and would have to be clearly demonstrated.
If you do change your planned assessment:
- Does it still test the learning outcomes?
- Should all students be offered the changed assessment?
What might I need to consider in giving feedback to disabled students?
Consider what strategies you need to employ to ensure feedback is inclusive and can be accessed by all students?
Accessibility and curriculum development - what do I need to consider?
Consider what strategies you can use to embed inclusive practice and so be better placed to anticipate the requirements of disabled students? For more information see the Teachability web site .
For more information on Accessible Assessments the Sheffield Hallam University web page
may be useful.
The above is taken from an article in the SKILL Journal by Madeline Freewood of the Disabled Student Support Team at Sheffield Hallam University .
