[blindlaw] Bar Exam Accommodations

[Jack Chen]

I asked for the computer exam during July of '05 for the New York and New
Jersey exams and was told repeatedly that the computerized exam with JAWS
was impossible for them and that they would not do it.  So, the lesson is
that do not believe a word that the NCBE tells you.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carrie Ann Lucas" <clucas at disabilitypride.com>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Bar Exam Accommodations


> I took the Colorado exam in July 05.  I was able to take both the MBE and
> the essay in electronic format.  I used NCBE's computer for the MBE, and
my
> own laptop for the essay.  I have a spare laptop, and I gave it to the
> Colorado bar examiners a couple of weeks prior to the exam.  I had a clean
> hard drive in the computer that only had programs, but no data.  I dropped
> the computer off a couple of weeks before the exam so that their
technicians
> could examine it.
>
> Carrie Ann Lucas
> Attorney/Equal Justice Works Fellow
> Center for Rights of Parents with Disabilities
> Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
> 655 Broadway, Suite 775
> Denver, CO 80203
> 303.839.1775 (voice
> 303.839.0015 (TTY and CapTel)
> 303.839.1782 (facsimile)
> 800.817.1435 (voice)
> 877.267.1621(TTY and CapTel)
> www.ccdconline.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I wondered if those of you who've already taken the Bar Exam can give me
> some advice.  I'm scheduled to sit for the exam this February in
Illinois.
>
> Until recently, all the plans for accommodations seemed to be  going fine.
> Last week, the Board of Admission to the Illinois Bar rep who  handles ADA
> matters contacted me to let me know that I would be allowed to use  my
> Jaws-enabled laptop to write the essay portion of the exam with the
> condition  that my computer be wiped of everything except one word
> processing program and  Jaws.  I wrote back to ask her to be more specific
> about their  requirements.  For example, who would be doing the wiping -
the
> Board or  myself?  Do they literally want everything wiped and all
programs
> uninstalled, or do they want to just make sure I don't have any
BarBri/PMBR
> documents or law school files that would be
> useful for cheating purposes?   Obviously, I am not willing to waste
> valuable
> study time to wipe my computer,  and I certainly lack the expertise to
> figure out what is crucial and what is not  for my laptop to operate.
Also,
> I don't think I want to wipe five years of  work and programs for one
day's
> use.  If they want to do the wiping, I'm  not sure I trust anyone with the
> personal information I have on my computer, and  again, depending on how
> long they need to do it, it might interfere with  valuable study time.
>
> In Illinois, the Board gives students who don't need accommodations the
> option to type the essay portion of the exam using software called
SofTest.
> The software works as a word processing program, and it also  lockes all
> other applications so the user can't access anything but  SofTest.  I
can't
> use SofTest because it would lock Jaws out and also  because there are
> concrete time limits on each exam, meaning I would not have  extended
time.
>
> As an alternative, I suggested the Board get a copy of Jaws and install it
> on one of their own machines so they'd be able to regulate what is on the
> machine themselves.  The rep said they'd consider that option, but they
> believe that it would probably be cost prohibitive.
>
> What did you all do about the essay portion?  I've never used a live
reader
> before on an exam, and I don't think the Bar Exam is an appropriate time
to
> experiment with one.  If I had concrete examples of how other states  deal
> with this issue, it might help convince Illinois to find a sollution that
> works for all of the parties involved.
>
> Thanks,
> Ronza
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw
>