Ensuring equal access to public examinations for candidates with sensory impairments - NatSIP

The implications of sensory impairment are well known to teachers of children and young people who are deaf, and/or have vision impairment (VI) and/or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI). These same factors can also have a significant effect on all aspects of learning and development and are well known also to affect assessment. It is crucial that candidates with sensory impairment are able to show what they know, and can do without changing the demands of the assessment, and that any barriers to their being able to do this are removed or mitigated.

Much of the content of this document can be applied to all forms of summative assessment, but the primary focus of this guide is on general qualifications, i.e. GCSE and A-level. While we hope the information and advice is accurate, readers are also strongly advised to consult the official publication Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments produced annually by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).