Conference Session Descriptions
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Session 2
2C Accessibility Testing: A Collaborative Model that Works
Presenters:
Sara Rieder Bennett, University of Akron (OH)
Kelly Kulick, University of Akron (OH)
Jessica DeFago, University of Akron (OH)
Lori Horton, University of Akron (OH)

Testing Services and Accessibility Offices frequently partner to provide testing accommodations to students with disabilities. Often, issues of space, training, and communication arise as important barriers and tools to successful partnership. This presentation will describe policies and data related to the importance of collaboration, identify barriers and support tools to effective collaboration, explain how our offices developed shared processes and tasks, present lessons learned for successful collaboration between our offices, and show examples of collaborative projects and procedures.

Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing

Session 3
3B Test Accessibility and Accommodations: A Discussion of Issues and Best Practices
Presenters:
Tim O'Connor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
David Espinoza, University of Oregon
Diane Smith, Portland State University (OR)
Michelle Porter, International Code Council
Katie Shifflett, Community College of Baltimore County (MD)
William Flowers, University of Tennessee-Martin

This will be a roundtable discussion led by the Universal Accessibility in Testing SIG leadership team on current issues and best practices in test accessibility and accommodations. The discussion will rely on audience participation in discussing issues such as coordination and processes in test accommodations, collaboration with disability services, working with faculty and students, technology questions, managing expectations and balancing with other duties, maintaining test security while dealing with the various needs of students with disabilities, and real accommodated testing situations.

Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing

Session 5
5E Testing on Tablets
Presenter:
David Ehrenreich, Anne Arundel Community College (MD)

This session will demonstrate an overview of our experience in administering exams with Apple's iPad. In this demonstration we will talk about how we have implemented iPads in our testing center to supplement traditional testing on desktops. In using the Accessibility features within the iPad, we will demonstrate multiple assistive technologies like text to speech, zooming, and Switch Control that can help students with disabilities. This session will also cover how to secure the iPad through Guided Access, turn off the iPad dictionary, and restric websites during the test session to help prevent cheating.

Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing

Session 8
8C When Test Accommodations Clash with Test Security: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Presenter:
John Hosterman, Paradigm Testing

Accommodations in the past were mainly limited to extra time, readers, and separate rooms. Today, thanks to rapid advances in assistive technology, candidates are requesting more and more to bring technology into the test center. In some cases, this is assistive technology that will help mitigate the negative effects of their disability, such as screen magnification software, special high-contrast keyboards, Brailling devices, or head-controlled mice. In other cases, candidates want to bring in medical devices that contain Bluetooth technology, remote-control devices, or medical devices that communicate with a smartphone. There is no question that candidates with disabilities or medical conditions need to be accommodated, but extra care needs to be taken to ensure that test security is maintained; candidates' "preferences" may not be realistic as they can pose significant security risks. This session will explore some of the increasingly-common accommodations requests that could pose security risks and offer practical tips for handling such requests.

Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing

Session 10
10B Accommodations in Test Centers: What's Reasonable?
Presenter:
John Hosterman, Paradigm Testing

Kangaroos, snakes, and turkeys, oh my! Requests for comfort animals and other seemingly ridiculous accommodations have gone amok. Testing organizations have seen a significant rise in the volume of candidates who present with an aggressive stance on their perceived right to accommodation. Some testing organizations maintain a staff of disability specialists who screen requests and help to sort out those that are reasonable from those that aren't; other organizations, for fear of being sued, just approve all accommodations requests and leave it to the test center staff to sort it out.

In the past few years, the legal landscape as well as the accommodations landscape have changed for students with disabilities who will be taking high-stakes exams. Following the passage of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, testing organizations have seen a significant rise in the volume of requests for test accommodations. This session will provide an overview of the legal definition of who is considered "Disabled" under the ADA as amended, an overview of best practices for reviewing test accommodations requests, and practical tips for handling what may be unreasonable accommodations requests. The presenter will provide actual cases to illustrate examples of reasonable or unreasonable accommodations requests and tips for managing each.

The speaker will illustrate a perspective that emphasizes a moderate, reasonable approach to accommodations, ensuring that candidates with disabilities have full access to the test while also ensuring that individuals who are not disabled do not receive undue advantage. Issues of test security and potential distraction to others will also be addressed.

Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing