IAR Assistive Technology Guidelines

Assistive Technology Guideline

These guidelines provide guidance for schools to determine if certain assistive technology (AT) already in

use by students with disabilities may be used and how to test the functionality of certain assistive

technology for possible use on the assessments.

For students using assistive technology, including screen readers and other AT applications, this must be

indicated on the student’s Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile (SR/PNP) prior to testing within

PearsonAccess

, located in the Pearson training center.

Assistive technology may not have embedded grammar check, connect to the internet, or save

information. If these features cannot be disabled or monitored closely by an administrator, the device

should not be used on an assessment.

The online assessment platform used to deliver assessments (TestNav) is designed to comply with the

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA. In order

to be compatible with the online assessment platform, browsers and assistive technologies should comply

with the W3C's User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) and support WCAG 2.0, Level AA and the Web

Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) recommendation from the W3C.

All assistive technology that is required to interact with the online assessment platform, but does not

conform to W3C standards and guidelines, may present challenges for students during testing.

There are three categories of assistive technology for use in assessments.

Category One: Allowable Assistive Technology

The first category includes assistive technology that is used by the student to interact directly with the

computer-based testing platform. These assistive technologies include third-party software applications

such as screen readers, as well as standard input devices, such as adaptive keyboards, adaptive mice,

and switch interfaces. Schools must confirm the functionality of the devices and software within their

technology environment prior to testing by conducting a simulation of the day-of-testing environment.

This can be completed in two phases.

Phase I

The Practice Tests are available non-secure through the resource support site or the TestNav desktop

app. These practice tests are non-secure and provide students with exposure to the content and

interactions. There are multiple versions of practice tests available. To test the functionality of assistive

technology, select the appropriate practice test within each grade/subject tab.

Choose the:

•

Accommodated Screen Reader version if testing with a screen reader or the

•

Accommodated Non-Screen Reader version if testing with other assistive technology that is not

a screen reader.

Note: Phase I is not via a secure student login. It is intended only to provide students with access to gain

exposure to content and item interactions within the assessment. Phase II must be completed to

confirm functionality in a secure assessment.

Phase II

The PearsonAccess

Training Center will include the capability to verify assistive technologies within

the secure versions of the practice tests. The instructions for conducting an infrastructure trial are

available in the Infrastructure Trial Readiness Guide available through the resource support site.

Verification will require completing the same registration and PNP process used for operational

assessment in the PearsonAccess

Training Center.

These activities will assist districts, schools, and students to determine whether their assistive

technology will interact appropriately with the TestNav assessment platform and whether it can be used

successfully during computer-based assessment. An infrastructure trial will also allow students to

interact and gain familiarity with the actual computer-based interface.

Assistive Technology IS supported for use with the TestNav desktop app. The app supports use of most

Assistive Technologies.

Variability has been found in the compatibility of different assistive technologies other than screen

readers with the TestNav app. Because of this, it is required that each user undergo infrastructure trials

where the students’ AT can be tested in a secure TestNav environment. The intent is to confirm if the

assistive technology will interact appropriately with the TestNav assessment platform and whether it can

be used successfully during computer-based testing.

NOTE: Browser based TestNav is no longer supported using the Firefox Extended Support Release –

Mozilla discontinued support of required browser plugins. The TestNav desktop app must be used for all

secure assessment.

As a result, assistive technologies that rely on browser toolbars or student login for individual student

account login will not work in the TestNav desktop app.

TestNav Technology guidelines provide detailed information on minimum system specifications. The

guidelines are available at TestNav System Requirements.

A list of assistive technologies that will not be prevented from running with TestNav security is as follows:

Product

Vendor

JAWS - Standard

Freedom Scientific

JAWS - Professional

Freedom Scientific

WYNN

Freedom Scientific

WYNN

Freedom Scientific

MAGic (with Speech)

Freedom Scientific

NVDA

NV Access

Window-

Eyes

Ai Squared (GW Micro)

Window-

Eyes

Ai Squared

ZoomText Mac

Ai Squared

ZoomText Magnifier

Ai Squared

ZoomText Magnifier/Reader

Ai Squared

ZoomText Fusion

Ai Squared

Kurzweil 3000 Windows

Cambium Learning (Kurzweil)

Co:Writer

Don Johnston

Read:OutLoud

Don Johnston

Switch Interface Pro

Don Johnston

Snap&Read Universal

Don Johnston

Kinderboard

Chester Creek

Headmouse Extreme

Origin Instruments

AbleNet Wave Rollerball

AbleNet Inc.

IntelliKeys (with Overlay Maker 3.5)

AbleNet Inc.

Kinderboard

AbleNet Inc.

BigKeys Keyboard

AbleNet Inc.

BIGtrack Trackball

AbleNet Inc.

Dwell Clicker 2

AbleNet Inc.

BigBlu VisionBoard

AbleNet Inc.

Blue 2

AbleNet Inc.

The Grid 2

AbleNet Inc.

The Grid 3

AbleNet Inc.

IntelliKeys USB Keyboard

AbleNet Inc.

Hitch Computer Switch Interface

AbleNet Inc.

Keys-U-See Wireless Combo Keyboard and Mouse

AbleNet Inc.

LessonBoard Keyboard

AbleNet Inc.

LearningBoard Keyboard

AbleNet Inc.

myGaze Assistive 2

AbleNet Inc.

TrackerPro

AbleNet Inc.

VisionBoard Wireless Keyboard

AbleNet Inc.

Roller Plus Joystick

Traxsys

Touch Screen

Traxsys

Cross Scanner

RJ Cooper & Assoc.

Reach Interface Author

Applied Human Factors

WordQ 4 (Mac)

goQ Software

wordQ + speakQ

goQ Software

Read&Write for Windows

TextHelp

Read&Write Gold for Mac

TextHelp

Dragon Naturally Speaking

Nuance Communications

Maestro

DynaVox

Vmax+

DynaVox

Tobii CEye

Tobii

Accent 700, 800, 1000 & 1200

Prentke Romich Company

ECO2

Prentke Romich Company

Magic Touch

KEYTEC Inc

SwitchXS

AssistiveWare

Braille Sense U2

Hims Inc

Brailliant BI32

HumanWare

BrailleNote Apex

HumanWare

Mywe Fast Typer

Mywe

Typing Assistant 2

SumitSoft

ChromeVox

Google

VarioUltra Braille display

Baum Inc

IMPORTANT NOTES about Operating Systems and Assistive Technology use:

•

Chromebooks:

The only Assistive Technology that can be used on Chromebooks interacting directly with

TestNav is ChromeVox - the screen reader embedded within the Chromebook Operating

System. Accessibility testing has shown that no barriers exist.

Chromebooks cannot be used with any other Assistive Technology interacting directly with

TestNav. Chromebook extensions are blocked when in Kiosk mode (Required for secure

assessment).

Chromebooks can be used as a stand-alone Assistive Technology for response

accommodations as defined in the Accommodations Manual. If you plan to use a Chromebook

or iPad as a third-party external assistive technology device, contact your state department for

additional guidance for administration.

Embedded operating system (OS) Accessibility Features must be disabled unless otherwise

allowed per the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). If not disabled, they will be

active during assessment as they can’t be blocked by TestNav. Examples for Chrome OS

include ChromeVox and Sticky Keys.

•

macOS and iOS - iPads

Must be full size iPads only (no iPad Mini).

Refer to TestNav System Requirements to determine supported iOS.

VoiceOver for iOS is not allowed for use on the assessments. There is currently no

configuration that will provide a barrier-free testing experience for VoiceOver users on iOS

systems. The Pearson TestNav and Accessibility teams are working with Apple to include

improvements in future releases.

Embedded operating system (OS) Accessibility Features must be disabled unless otherwise

allowed per the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). If not disabled, they will be

active during assessment as they can’t be blocked by TestNav. Examples for macOS and iOS

include Voiceover, Sticky Keys, Speak Selection, and Speak Screen.

•

Windows

Embedded operating system (OS) Accessibility Features must be disabled unless otherwise

allowed per the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). If not disabled, they will be

active during assessment as they can’t be blocked by TestNav. Examples for Windows OS

include Windows Narrator, Windows Speech Recognition, and Sticky Keys.

Category Two: External Assistive Technology

The second category includes “stand-alone” assistive technology that does not interact directly with TestNav

and is not accessed on the same device used by the student to complete the computer-based assessment.

Instead, this will be used by the student at a separate station during the assessment.

Assistive technologies in this category include speech-to-text, augmentative communication, word prediction,

self-contained word processors, and other technologies not directly connected to the computer on which the

student is being tested. These “stand-alone” assistive technologies do not need to be tested via an

Infrastructure Trial and may be used during the, according to the provisions of the accommodations policies.

However, they may require an adult test administrator to assist the student with transition between the

computer used for assessment and the external assistive technology.

All responses generated on a “stand-alone” assistive technology device must be transcribed verbatim by test

administrator to the student’s computer-based test or into the accommodated answer document. Please refer to

the Protocol for the Use of the Scribe Accommodation and for Transcribing Student Responses available in the

accommodations manual for steps that must be followed when transcribing a student’s response.

NOTE: If stand-alone assistive technologies are used for the assessments, all grammar check, internet access,

and stored file functionalities must be disabled.

If you plan to use a Chromebook or iPad as a third-party external assistive technology device, contact your state

department for additional guidance for administration. Reference the Accommodations Manual for more detailed

instructions.