BEAR Guides to Accommodations for Blind/Low Vision Students

Guide to College Entrance Exam Accommodations

Examinations covered:

  • PSAT®/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test)
  • SAT®
  • ACT®

Also includes hyperlinks to documents referenced.

Guide to College Board Credit-Earning Exams Accommodations

Examinations covered:

  • Advanced Placement (AP®)
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP®)
  • ACCUPLACER (used for placement decisions in many community colleges, colleges, and universities)

Also includes hyperlinks to documents referenced.

Guide to IB and Cambridge Credit-Earning Exams Accommodations

Examinations covered:

  • International Baccalaureate
  • Cambridge Assessment

Also includes hyperlinks to documents referenced.

ACT Streamlines Accommodations Eligibility Requirements for Students with IEPs, 504 Plans—Sort of

ACT has announced that it “plans to increase accessibility to the ACT test for students with disabilities by streamlining accommodations eligibility requirements. ACT will approve allowable accommodations already included in students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. Beginning with the 2021-22 testing year, students who already receive accommodations at their school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act will automatically be eligible to receive the allowable testing accommodations when they register for the ACT with accommodations.” ACT July 21, 2021 Press Release

However, note that this announcement limits students to “allowable accommodations.” I finally found a list of (at least some) “allowable” accommodations in the ACT WorkKeys Accessibility Guide. While this list is helpful, it is not exhaustive. Hopefully, the ACT is committed to increasing accessibility for students with disabilities and the list of “allowable” accommodations is more comprehensive than the accommodations found in this guide.