Accessible Assessments
Assistive Technology Compatibility
On test day, some students with disabilities will rely on assistive technology (AT) to access the assessment and its accommodations. This should be an opportunity for the students to show their mastery of the subject matter, not to struggle with technology issues, subpar image descriptions, or incomplete markup.
NCAM staff have reviewed thousands of Web sites and software applications for compliance with state and federal accessibility policies as well as guidelines and recommendations from the W3C. In addition, NCAM has published its own guidelines for creating accessible Web sites, e-books, PDFs and complex images for use in electronic publications of all types. Staff members are expert users of assistive technology on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android operating systems, and are fluent in both semi-automatic and manual methods of evaluating electronic materials for accessibility obstacles. NCAM has also evaluated many types of hardware devices, from televisions to mobile-communication devices of all kinds (including smartphones, e-readers, and tablets), for compliance with best-practices guidelines and federal policies.
- NCAM can test your delivery platform with commonly used AT, media players, and browsers in order to advise you on how to ensure that each student's access to the test is smooth and unhindered.
NCAM staff have reviewed thousands of Web sites and software applications for compliance with state and federal accessibility policies as well as guidelines and recommendations from the W3C. In addition, NCAM has published its own guidelines for creating accessible Web sites, e-books, PDFs and complex images for use in electronic publications of all types. Staff members are expert users of assistive technology on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android operating systems, and are fluent in both semi-automatic and manual methods of evaluating electronic materials for accessibility obstacles. NCAM has also evaluated many types of hardware devices, from televisions to mobile-communication devices of all kinds (including smartphones, e-readers, and tablets), for compliance with best-practices guidelines and federal policies.
Donna A. Danielewski, Ph.D.
Director, The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family
National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH (NCAM)
(617) 300-2454
Email Donna
Bryan Gould
Director, Accessible Learning and Assessment Technology
(617) 300-3472
Email Bryan
Director, The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family
National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH (NCAM)
(617) 300-2454
Email Donna
Bryan Gould
Director, Accessible Learning and Assessment Technology
(617) 300-3472
Email Bryan