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MCC Daily Tribune

Creating Accessible Exams: 5 Simple Tips

As final exam week quickly approaches, many students who use test accommodations are scheduling their exams in Testing Services. Exam accessibility is not just for students who receive testing accommodations, though; all students can benefit from accessible learning materials.

Some of the accommodations provided in Testing Services include:

  • Exam Reader Pens
  • Scanners and software which will read a paper or online exam
  • Speech-to-text Software
  • Magnification devices

In order for students to utilize these ADA-approved devices, tests need to be created with accessibility in mind.

Here are 5 simple things you can do to increase exam accessibility for all students in your classes:

  1. Use a "Sans Serif" font: Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica.

  2. If your test is created with Word or Powerpoint, run the Accessibility Checker. To do this, go to File>Inspect Document>Check for Issues> Check Accessibility. This will ensure that assistive technology (such as a screen reader or magnifier) will be able to navigate the document clearly.

  3. Use a standard font size and color. This will ensure that the student using a screen reader or magnification device will be able to adjust the exam's appearance properly for their accommodated need.

  4. Use one of MS Word's pre-made templates. These are created to be compatible with current accessibility best practices.

  5. Include plenty of "white space" on your exam. Line spacing should be at a minimum of 1.5. This allows for ease of visual interpretation of materials.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at SPantaleo2@monroecc.edu.

Sarah Elizabeth Pantaleo
Testing Services
12/03/2019