Members of the Working Group:

Therese Campbell, Catholic Education Office, Wollongong
Lara Danks, NSW Department of Education
Jacqueline Donnelly, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
Josie Howse (Convenor), NSW Department of Education

Contributions by Greg Alchin, All Equal, Deb Lewis, Statewide Vision Resource Centre, Victoria and Robyn Roberts, NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA)

These guidelines were reviewed for the Round Table Executive Committee by Sondra Wibberley and Marcia Marcinkewycz with final proofreading undertaken by Brian Conway. Alternative formats produced by Sonali Marathe, Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc.

Open Book Exams

Open book exams may disadvantage a student with vision impairment if:

they are required to access large amounts of hard copy examination material; or

they need to bring to the examination venue additional equipment (which may be large and cumbersome) for use in accessing material, computer-based information or providing responses.

Open book exams are only recommended if digital files can be provided and/or arrangements are made by the institution for technology with which the student is familiar to be available at the examination venue.

Access to assessment materials

Only authorised personnel may have access to the assessment materials during the production period or until advised by the assessor or assessment authority. To ensure appropriate security:

personnel with access to the assessment material who have relatives involved in the same assessment must declare this relationship to the examiner

discussions about the preparation of the assessment materials and proofreading should always occur in a secure location

the existence and content of assessment materials must not be discussed with unauthorised people

personnel involved in supervising a student or transcribing their responses for marking following completion of the assessment, must not discuss the assessment task or student responses with anyone other than authorised staff.

Production and storage of assessment materials

To ensure appropriate security:

assessment materials must be produced in a secure physical environment

assessment materials must be produced and stored on a secure computer

assessment materials should not be left unattended

all waste generated during production should be disposed of (preferably by shredding) or stored securely until the secure period has expired.

The assessor or assessment authority must be informed immediately if the security of the assessment materials has been compromised by fire, theft, loss, damage, unauthorised disclosure or any other circumstances.

Delivery of assessment materials

Secure transportation or electronic transmission of both the original documents and completed assessment material must be:

undertaken only by authorised personnel

password protected or securely sealed.

Randomised Assessment

Randomised assessments, e.g. spot tests, which are administered to students without prior notice, are increasingly being used in some education/training settings to monitor student performance at various stages of their learning. For students with vision impairment, this can cause disadvantage for the following reasons:

the student may not have brought all information, e.g. statistical tables needed to respond to specific questions on the day of the assessment

randomised assessment does not necessarily allow for provision of accessible assessment materials or provision of reasonable adjustments.

Given these issues, the use of this type of assessment is not recommended. Tests of this nature may breach DDA requirements for accessibility and could be considered inequitable. If, however, use of randomised assessment is imperative to skill/competency development, consideration of the above points and provision of timely reasonable adjustments must be provided for students with vision impairment by the education/training provider.

Recommendations for measuring and drawing

A Specialist Teacher (VI) or Disability Service Practitioner should be consulted by an education provider to advise on the degree of tolerance (accuracy) that would be reasonable to expect from a student with vision impairment in answering a question involving either measuring or drawing. The degree of accuracy expected of these students should not be greater than 0.5 cm or 5 degrees.

Some students with vision impairment have difficulty perceiving depth. Questions where students are required to draw complex graphics or 3D shapes should be avoided. Consideration should be given to assessing the students’ conceptual understanding and skills rather than the ability to construct the graphic.

Overview

When constructing the assessment task the examiner should adhere to the principles of appropriate assessment as outlined in Section 1: Accessible Assessment.

Braille assessment materials should be made available according to the needs of the individual student. It is essential that all braille and tactile graphics assessment materials be made available to students at the time of the examination.

Braille and tactile materials are extremely time-consuming to produce and the time frame for production should be negotiated and agreed upon by the assessment authority and the production department well in advance.

It is the education/training authority’s responsibility to ensure that the practice materials are provided so the student has access to the materials in appropriate format at the same time as the rest of the class. The purpose of adjusting examination materials is to make the assessment accessible and equitable to students. Specialist Teachers (VI) or Disability Service Practitioners may recommend to the examiner what action they need to take to achieve this outcome.

Assessment instructions may need to be amended to reflect any adjustments to the questions.

The format of braille assessment papers must:

be clear and unambiguous; and

enable efficient navigation.

Paper format

Page headers that contain the exam subject name and section should be included

References to the location of any relevant pages of an examination question should reflect the appropriate braille page numbers.

Instructions to the student

The instruction page should omit details specific to print users (this will need to be approved by the examiner)

Adjust all time allowances throughout the paper to reflect any additional time the student has been granted

A note indicating that the original examination times have not been adjusted should be included if the allocation of additional time is unknown.

Body of the paper

Papers should be formatted for efficiency of navigation

Question numbers should be located on the left margin, clear of any overruns as this will allow for efficient scanning by the reader

A blank line may be left between questions, this will assist in navigation

The marks assigned to the questions should be placed after the question number, e.g. Question 1 (5 marks)

Splitting questions across pages should be avoided wherever possible;

If splitting questions across pages is unavoidable, care should be taken to ensure the break is made mid-sentence

When the student is required to do extended reading in order to answer questions, it may be helpful to insert the questions both at the beginning and at the end of the passage

The approximate length of the answer required should be indicated except for very short answers (allow approximately 7 words per print line).

Graphics

Diagrams may need to be produced in tactual form. Some graphic or diagrammatic material may be best presented in written form. All descriptions should be provided by the examiner in consultation with the Specialist Teacher (VI) or Disability Service Practitioner as relevant and, where appropriate, the producer. For further information on visual description, refer to the Round Table Guidelines for Conveying Visual Information

Diagrams may need to be simplified and unnecessary detail deleted or the information split over two or more diagrams. Changes may require negotiations with the examiner. It may be necessary to provide an alternative question where adjustments to diagrams are not accessible for a braille reading student

Where the inclusion of a diagram means the question extends to two braille pages, the diagram should appear adjacent to the question to which it refers

In some situations it may be appropriate for diagrams to be placed in a separate booklet, and in this case the diagram heading(s) should state the question number ( e.g. 'diagram for question 8'), as well as any other heading information present in the original. This practice should also be followed if diagrams are on loose or removable sheets

Concrete materials such as models may be necessary to supplement diagrams.

Proofreading

Meticulous proofreading by people with expertise in braille is essential to ensure accuracy. Wherever possible touch reader/s should be used in the proofreading process to ensure clarity of layout. It is essential that proofreaders are fully aware of the production guidelines for the format and have knowledge of any specialist codes used

The proofreader can also make practical judgements about how easily the different tactile features in a diagram can be discerned; and

Proofreaders check that the diagram contains all the relevant information to ensure the question can be answered.

Compiling the paper

Examination papers are bound and not stapled

Papers are bound in sections or as one volume (preferably no more than 40 braille pages)

Volumes are divided where a natural break occurs

A table of contents of the sections or options in the examination paper is provided; and

The supervisor has a print transcript of the braille paper.

Checking:

that the assessment material is clearly labelled in print

that all the assessment material is present and appears in the correct order

all details relating to the examination are correct on the front cover of the question paper and that these details correspond to those stated on the print copy

where there are any diagrams or other material to be included, ensure that figure references in the text correspond to those on the diagrams

that the line references to prose passages in questions have been correctly amended if line numbers in the braille version of the passage do not correspond with those in the print version

that references to the location of the diagrams have been amended to reflect the actual location in the braille copy, e.g. “diagram opposite”, “ diagram below” or “diagram following”

page numbers, including diagram sheets, to ensure that all the pages are identified

that the various sections and/or parts end according to the current Formatting Rules and Guidelinesproduced by the Australian Braille Authority (ABA) e.g. End of Section II; End of Paper

each page for the quality of the braille, e.g. all dots have been embossed satisfactorily and have not been flattened, and the cells have not been embossed out of alignment

that any graphics/diagrams are tactually clear and concise

that any special instructions concerning the collation of separate sections have been followed.

When an examination paper has been checked and is correct, the examining body’s name, the subject, and any other identifying features of the paper, such as a code and/or the paper number, must be in print on the top of the front page of the braille paper to assist non-braille readers to identify the paper.

Include:

the print transcript of the braille paper

all elements of an examination paper that are required for the student to undertake the exam.

Dispatch:

examination papers should be forwarded by secure transport or registered post, clearly marked for the attention of the contact person

the post pack should state clearly that the materials are confidential, braille and fragile

it may be advisable to send an advice note under separate cover to the contact officer that the examination paper has been dispatched on a particular date; and

storage and transport of assessment materials should be undertaken under the same level of security afforded to the regular print assessment materials.

Overview

These guidelines only provide information that is relevant to the production of examination papers. There are many additional large print issues which need to be considered. For further information about large print, please refer to the Round Table Guidelines for Producing Clear Print.

General considerations

Assessment materials in large print must be made available according to the needs of the individual student, as advised by relevant specialist staff, e.g. Specialist Teacher (VI), or Orthoptist.
Recommendations may include reference to:

font style

font size

paper size

paper colour

use of colour or black and white only

line thickness in diagrams

grid size

single/double spacing

single/double-sided printing

Electronic assessment materials are preferable to those produced on the photocopier to ensure print quality and greater usability of the document

Ensure that print and image details are sharp, making use of contrasting colours (where appropriate) and well-spaced text

Photocopying does not allow for:

fonts to be changed

pages to be reformatted

decluttering or

usability of the document.

Reformatting Large Print Papers

When reformatting examination papers it is important:

to retain as much as possible of the content of the original paper, including visual stimuli

to ensure visual material is only removed if it does not constitute an integral part of the purpose of the question

the mark value of each question should be placed immediately after the question number, irrespective of its location in the standard print copy

to consider whether lengthy passages of text or graphics need to be placed in a separate booklet to the accompanying questions. Reference to the location of text or graphics should be amended as necessary

adjustments to time allocations and/or instructions should be reflected at the beginning of the paper and throughout the assessment.

Consistency:

Consistent formatting from year to year is helpful for students who regularly use past papers for practice.

Paper Size, Type, and Binding:

Paper size should reflect the individual student’s needs:

A4 sized paper may be preferred by some students, for example those with reduced visual field or students who may have trouble manipulating the larger paper

A3 sized paper may be preferred by some students, for example for technical material, graphics and lengthy text-based stimulus material

B4 sized paper is also an option for students

assessment papers are to be printed on matte paper of sufficient weight to minimise show-through

the paper may be produced in either single-sided or double-sided format

generally papers should be bound on the left to enable them to be opened out flat. Materials that are in landscape orientation may need to be bound at the top.

Formatting and Fonts:

the placement of question numbers and the indentation of questions and sub-questions should normally be followed

references to the location of diagrams, tables, etc. should be amended as necessary

the font selected should be sans serif, such as Arial or Verdana

there should be an increase in spacing between lines to aid readability

italicised passages should be avoided where they only serve a visual function. Consideration should be given to indent the passage or replace individual italicised words or phrases with bolding, where bolding has not been used in the same context

colours or patterns must provide maximum contrast

where the original material (including stimulus material) is in colour, the enlarged version should also be in colour

for students who have difficulty with colour perception, reformatting should take into account the needs of the individual

the following symbols are of sufficient size and weight to be seen clearly by the student:

punctuation marks

line numbers in plays and poetry (aligned on the left-hand side of the text)

stimulus and source materials

subscripts, superscripts and operation signs

algebraic letters

verse numbers from the Bible

contour lines on maps

note heads

accents in foreign languages

map symbols and keys

where there are expressions with superscripts and subscripts in a paper, the base font for mathematical expressions throughout the paper may need to be increased or the font size of the superscript/subscript increased

paragraphs should be left aligned, not fully justified; and

information should not be placed on the right margin without indication as it may be inadvertently overlooked by the student.

Setting out and Splitting of Questions:

in general, more space should be left between questions than between sub-questions or paragraphs

if dividing lines are used between questions in the original (standard) print copy, ensure that there is sufficient space between the lines and the text in the large print format

the mark value of each question should normally be placed immediately after the question number, irrespective of its location in the original (standard print) format

questions that start at the bottom of a page should be moved to the top of the next page

when questions are split over more than one page, ensure that the question is split mid-sentence or insert “Question continued on next page”/“Question continued from previous page” as appropriate.

Answer Sheets, Booklets and Answer Spaces:

reference materials, stimulus materials, answer sheets, multiple choice sheets, and booklets must be available to the student in the same large print specifications as the assessment paper

lined paper may be printed with heavy bold lines with increased line spacing so that the student can write in a size that they can proofread

grids or tables that form part of a response should also be produced in large print

ample spaces for working out should be reproduced in the large print version of the paper wherever possible.

Reference Material:

all reference and stimulus material should be in the student’s required font size

for lengthy passages of text it may be useful to consider placing the questions and passages in separate booklets. Reference should be made at the beginning of the question as to the exact location of the stimulus material.

Explanatory Notes:

stimulus material may occasionally need an accompanying description (which should be provided by the examiner). The written description should not interfere with the integrity of the question

some questions will require special layouts or presentation of information. If descriptions are provided, care must be taken to avoid key words required for answers; and

descriptions of photographs and diagrams should be clear and unambiguous and not provide advantage or disadvantage to students.

Graphics

All elements of a graphic need to adhere to the student’s large print requirements. Ensure that:

information obtained from cartoons, photographs, sketches, diagrams or graphs should be clarified by the examiner. This type of material should be accompanied by a written description

a layout with arrows and a series of pictures may need to be simplified and enlarged

where increased contrast is required, diagrams, line thickness and style can be adapted, and areas can be coloured or shaded using distinctive patterns

information may be provided in a key to reduce visual clutter and should be placed in a prominent position

graphics may be simplified as long as the answer to the accompanying question/s is not compromised

if the focus of the graphic is printed information it may be able to be converted to text

the graphic may need to be split into more than one diagram and relevant sections of the diagram highlighted

scaled diagrams need to be accurately represented. Diagrams cannot be enlarged without the scale being affected. To create a scale of equivalent standard to the original, it may be necessary to re-draw a scale diagram completely. Alternatively the relevant numerical values in the question can be adjusted so that the enlarged scale diagram (using the original scale) gives the correct results

ensure that visual/tactile versions of graphics are provided where necessary

supplementary material in the form of shapes or models to replace 3D diagrams may be helpful. The approval for the use of models should be sought from the examiner; and

if no appropriate adaptation can be made to inaccessible graphics it may be necessary to consider approaching the examiner to provide a substitution of source material or a substitute question.

Placement of Graphics:

the location of the graphic should first be indicated if different from the original

relevant caption and heading references should precede the graphic

arrange diagrams, tables and other ancillary material to appear on the same page spread as the question(s) that relate wherever possible. If this is not possible then consider repeating the graphic material with subsequent questions on following pages

the basic order of the material as presented in the standard print version of the examination paper should normally be adhered to

If a whole page is left blank the words [blank page] should be placed near the top of the page. It is not necessary to retain redundant original blank pages; and

if diagrams are placed in a separate booklet, the diagram should state the question number ( e.g. 'diagram for question 8'). This practice should also be followed if diagrams are provided loose/unbound.

Labelling of Graphics:

graphics headings should normally be placed at the top, whatever the position in the original

names, labels and captions should be at least the same size as the main text and horizontal wherever possible. On occasions labels may need to be placed differently to enhance clarity of the diagram

information for example “not to scale” or compass direction(s) should be placed at the top left of the diagram

a complex diagram could be simplified by use of a key

essential lines or arrows should be:

clear

a suitable thickness/weight

clearly differentiated.

Written Descriptions:

A written description may be necessary to provide clarification of photographs and/or images.

All descriptions should be provided by the examination authority in consultation with the Specialist Teacher (VI) or Disability Service Practitioner

Care must be taken with written descriptions to ensure they do not provide leading information or material which is not available to other students

A statement should be included indicating that a description has been provided where necessary

All descriptions should be provided in English.

Proofreading

Proof readers must have knowledge of any specialist material (or content) and be aware of Round Table Guidelines for Producing Clear Print relating to the production and formatting of clear print.

All accessible examination formats must be proofread against the original to ensure accuracy by checking that:

the materials required to support the question including any accompanying separate resources such as answer booklets, stimulus, diagrams or models are provided for proofing

the assessment material is clearly labelled in print

all details relating to the examination are correct on the front cover of the question paper and that these details correspond to those on the original print copy

the large print paper accurately reflects the original examination with any relevant adjustments

all the pages are reproduced and in the correct sequence

the quality and size of the font on each page meets the student’s requirements

any special instructions for binding the diagrams have been followed; and

that any special instructions concerning the collation of separate sections have been followed.

Any errors must be corrected; examination papers must be 100% correct.

Include:

The large print package should include:

the large print examination

any other materials or booklets which need to be supplied, e.g. maps, coloured photographs and machine-read answer sheets; and

any relevant notes or instructions.

Dispatch:

examination papers should be delivered securely, clearly marked for the attention of the contact person within the examining body

the package should state clearly that the contents are confidential

it may be advisable to send an advice note under separate cover, notifying the examining body that the test materials have been dispatched on a particular date.

Accessibility and Universal Design

Digital assessment should utilise the Principles of Universal Design. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides the pedagogical framework for inclusive assessments. When designing content, the following must be considered from the outset:

What is the purpose of the assessment?

What does a successful response look like?

Are there any barriers that may limit students perceiving, understanding and responding?

What strategies will be implemented so that all students can perceive, understand and respond?

Which techniques and tools will be utilised to quality assure the assessment system and items are inclusive?

The following factors affect accessibility and usability for students with vision impairment:

Platform Design

The assessment should demonstrate functionality, efficiency and consistency with magnification, navigation, scrolling, and positioning of “NEXT and BACK” button

The assessment should be stable over various browsers and devices

The platform should provide for time allowance of rest breaks and extra time

The platform should allow for use of access technology, changes to colour contrast, text size etc.

The platform should allow users to increase text size without loss of content or functionality

The system should adjust to time-outs by saving responses and returning the student to the correct place in the test.

Keyboard accessibility

All functionality, features and interactivity must be available from a keyboard

Ensure there is a logical keyboard tab order, i.e. the tab order follows the page reading order

Navigating to and interacting with form controls should not cause a change of context (for example, form submission, page reload, page redirect, etc.). All forms should include a “SUBMIT” button.

Item Design

Font and styling

Use sans serif fonts, e.g. Arial and Helvetica

Avoid excessive use of italic, bold and all-capitals formatting

Use stylised headings rather than underlining to emphasise headings

Use bold font rather than underlining to emphasise text

Use a line spacing of 1.5 to improve readability.

Layout and structure

The assessment should put instructions and key information at the top of the page

The stimulus material should be located close to the question

Use informative headings and lists to group information where appropriate

Use true heading and list styles rather than formatting.

Tables

Column headers should be clearly identified. Cascading Style Sheets ( CSS ) should be used for websites. Ensure header cells are marked-up as table header <th> elements

Avoid complex tables (merged cells, nested tables, etc.). Instead, break-up complex tables into multiple, simple tables where possible

Avoid excessive use of blank characters or blank cells

Any web links should be up-to date and dead links deleted

Diagrams and stimulus should have an ALT<TAG description or text equivalent

There should be provision of tactual format and /or written description for diagrams and /or tables.

Colour contrast

Ensure foreground and background colours have a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text or 3:1 for large-scale text.

Use of colour to convey information

Avoid using colour alone to convey information, e.g. identifying a form field error by highlighting it in red font.

Text alignment

Align text to the left and avoid indenting paragraphs.

Physical Environment

Reliability of bandwidth at the assessment site should be available

The student should be familiar with a variety of digital assessment styles

The student should be familiar with the range of technically enhanced items and response types that may be incorporated in a digital assessment. For example, drag and drop, hotspot, dropdown menus, etc.

The battery charge of student’s device should be sufficient for the duration of the assessment and a backup power source available

The student’s navigation and keyboard skills should be sufficient to demonstrate their knowledge

The student’s approved disability provisions should be administered (see Section 1: Accessible Assessment).

Refer to Round Table Guidelines for Accessible E-Text to ensure assessments are produced in compliance with relevant standards.

Extension of examination time:

Students with vision impairment may be eligible for extension of time to accommodate:

navigation of the assessment materials

interpretation of tactile or enlarged graphics

reading descriptions of graphic material

technology access

low vision devices (hand held magnifiers, electronic magnifiers)

navigation of enlarged content on screen (scrolling, multiple tabs).

Applications for extensions of time should be based on evidence of:

a functional vision assessment

reading speeds (using standardised assessments)

writing speeds.

Rest breaks related to visual and physical fatigue may extend the examination time but the student is not permitted to work during this period.

Reader

A reader is a person who reads the content of the examination paper to the student. It is the responsibility of the exam author to consult with the Specialist Teacher Vision Impairment (VI) or other specialist, to capture the critical elements required for a verbal description that is to be provided for the reader. A reader must never undertake interpretation of the material. It is recommended contact be made with relevant education authorities to determine the appropriate protocols.

The student may request the reader to repeat any content element a number of times in order to process the information.

Amanuensis (Scribe or Writer)

An amanuensis is a person who writes down a student’s dictated answers to questions in an examination.

The amanuensis should:

produce an accurate and legible record of the student’s responses

read back and/or repeat what has been recorded at the student's request in order to ensure accuracy

record answers exactly as they are dictated and draw diagrams, maps and graphs only in accordance with the student’s instructions

be aware that some students may prefer to draw their own diagrams/charts when they are required for an answer.

I mportant considerations

A reader and/or amanuensis:

should not give factual help or offer suggestions to the student

should neither give the student an unfair advantage nor disadvantage the student

should be a responsible adult, unrelated to the student

should have a good working knowledge of the subject matter being examined so specialised vocabulary is read and pronounced correctly

should not advise the student regarding which questions to do, when to move on to the next question, or the order in which the questions should be attempted.

The student should have adequate practice in working with a reader and/or amanuensis before taking an examination

Examination supervision

Students with vision impairment will require separate supervision (individual or small group setting) if they are accessing any of the following:

a brailler

additional time

a reader and/or amanuensis.

The appointed supervisor of the examination should not have an existing association with the student(s).

Role of the supervisor

The supervisor needs to:

ensure that the student is able to locate their designated work space within the examination area

ensure that the student is granted sufficient time to locate and position any approved access technology

inform the student (if appropriate) of the location of all relevant examination papers or items in their workspace

be aware of the student’s disability provisions as approved by the examiner

advise the student of both the original examination time and the extra time which has been approved by the examiner; and

liaise with the student and supervise any approved rest break provisions.

During the examination the supervisor should:

maintain professional management, ensuring that conversation, volume and behaviour are appropriate

consult (when supervising students completing braille examination papers) the print transcript of the braille paper in responding to student queries

assist the student if material appears to be omitted, damaged or unreadable. The supervisor cannot interpret the material.

Venue

The examination venue should:

be comparable to the conditions for the other students, ( e.g. have air conditioning, heating, be sufficiently soundproof with minimal disturbance)

have sufficient lighting and power outlets available (including desk lamp)

be spacious enough, with adequate furniture to accommodate specialised equipment and a guide dog where necessary

have seating for the supervisor and if approved, reader/amanuensis

have access to bathroom facilities.

A suitable venue needs to be arranged in conjunction with the examination authority if these facilities are not available.

Following the examination the supervisor should:

ensure that the relevant sections of the student’s responses are correctly collated, and secured.