What Concessions Can Learners With Barriers Apply For In South Africa?

Learning is a skill that anyone can acquire, and it’s vital to our society. However, not everyone has the same chance of acquiring this skill. Students with barriers to learning face challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to achieve their full potential as students. As educators and professionals who work with people with disabilities, we have an obligation to make sure that all of our students have equal access to education and can demonstrate what they’ve learned at school each day.

The Following Concessions/Accommodations Can Be Made For Learners With Barriers:

In South Africa, accommodation and concession assessments/evaluations are required by education departments, universities, the IEB, schools, and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), when applying for concessions for learners with barriers. Accommodation assessments will highlight the appropriate selection of the following concessions to be granted during examinations:

• A Scribe – The use of a scribe to copy down notes, write tests and record answers for the student when the disability causes extreme difficulty with written work. Note that the whole examination session will be recorded, and the recorded copy must accompany and be handed in with the answer booklet.
• A Reader – The purpose of a reader is to read the text in an examination paper to the student and to re-read sections of the text if so requested by the learner. This accommodation requires a separate venue. Note that the whole examination session will be recorded, and the recorded copy must accompany and be handed in with the answering material.
• Amanuensis – An individual who will read and scribe for the student. This accommodation requires a separate venue. Note that the whole examination session will be recorded, and the recorded copy must accompany and be handed in with the answering material.
• A Prompter – The purpose of a prompter is to assist a learner who is easily distracted by refocusing on the examination. Prompters are allowed to use physical or verbal cues to assist learners in refocusing. Prompters are not allowed to interfere with the student’s answers to the examination. This accommodation requires a separate venue.
• Spelling – Spelling accommodations are awarded to learners whose ability to express thoughts adequately is compromised; i.e. the learner has a notable discrepancy between their chronological age and spelling age. Spelling stickers are placed on the student’s answer material indicating to the marker to ignore spelling if the written answer is phonetically correct.
• Handwriting – Handwriting stickers are placed on the student’s answering material indicating to a marker that untidy handwriting is accommodated.
• Braille – Examination papers can be offered in Braille where a learner has been educated using Braille.
• Enlarged Print – Learners with visual difficulties can request enlarged print on an examination paper to make it more accessible to them.
• A Computer – Learners may request to present their answers in type format by using a computer. This accommodation requires a separate venue.
• Medication & Food Intake – During an examination, certain students may require time to take medication and/or food and drinks to help regulate sugar levels and treat low blood sugar levels. Rest periods may be applied for with this accommodation. This accommodation requires a separate venue.
• Practical Assistant – Practical assistants help students to complete an examination while practically catering to their specific needs; i.e. a learner in a wheelchair may need practical assistance in a practical examination. Practical assistants must provide the appropriate assistance without engaging in conversation with the learner. This accommodation requires a separate venue.
• Rest Breaks – Rest periods are given when a learner doesn’t need to be at a desk whilst remaining in the examination area. Rest period times are counted as additional writing time and will be added to the examination time period. This accommodation requires a separate venue.
• Separate Venue – Separate venues indicate quiet settings away from the main examination venue, i.e. a library. The main purpose of a separate, quiet venue is to prevent disturbance to others and or to assist individual students.
• Special Equipment – Where any specific equipment is required, the IEB or DBE (examining bodies) must be notified. In instances whereby specific equipment may disturb others, a separate venue can be requested.

Book A Concession & Accommodation Assessment For Learners With Barriers Today.

With the right support, students and learners with barriers can achieve their goals. Mizu Therapy & Assessment’s child and educational psychologists in Johannesburg, are here to help and specialise in Psycho-Educational Assessments and concession application documents needed. Concessions and accommodations will be granted by the overseeing institution once individuals have been assessed and show at least an average intellectual ability and a significant long-term learning disability which will compromise examination performance.