Guzman-Orth, D., Steinberg, J., & Albee, T. (2023). English learners who are blind or visually impaired: A participatory design approach to enhancing fairness and validity for language testing accommodations . Language Testing , 40 (4), 933–959. https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322231159143

Advance online publication (6/27/2023)

Accommodations were not specified; instead, this study focused on the experiences of students who were blind or visually impaired on a new English language proficiency (ELP) assessment.

Seventeen students from grades 1–12 with the primary disability category of “visual impairment,” as well as five test administrators—including teachers, assessment coordinators, and curriculum specialists—participated.

Retrospective interview techniques were implemented by test administrators to students during a cognitive lab. Cognitive interviews and observations were conducted by test administrators and observers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with test administrators.

Students with visual impairments including blindness were generally able to access the test content independently, but individualized support was often needed to help students effectively use their allowed accommodations and assistive technologies. Researchers emphasized the importance of considering both accessibility and usability together when designing assessments for students with visual impairments and highlighted the value of gathering rich qualitative feedback from these students and their teachers throughout the test development and administration process.