"Access to Assessment" policy for disabled candidates published

The British Computer Society (BCS) has published its “Access to Assessment” policy for disabled candidates studying for its range of IT qualifications, including the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). The policy will ensure that candidates with a disability are not disadvantaged through standard assessment processes and that the qualifications they gain accurately and fairly reflect their attainment.

The BCS Access to Assessment policy appears on a new section of the BCS website, www.bcs.org/access and provides details of the types of reasonable adjustments which can be made for assessments. These include the allocation of additional time, support of a reader, scribe, personal assistant or British Sign Language interpreter, the use of assistive technology and rest breaks. The pages also provide information about the BCS Qualifications quality mark and accessibility resources with links to each of its key IT qualifications including: ECDL, ECDL Advanced, e-Citizen, e-type and equalskills.

Derek Mills for BCS Qualifications explains: “BCS has been working with a wide range of external agencies to create wider and fairer accessibility to these key IT qualifications, including the introduction of the quality mark. The policy aims to ensure that training, qualifications and career advancement within the IT sector remain as inclusive as possible while ensuring that any reasonable adjustments for candidates preserve the validity and integrity of the qualifications.”