[blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied

[Ben Karpilow]

Angie, I'm taking the July California bar  and have been granted use of my 
laptop for the essay portion of the exam. California requires  bar 
laptoppers  to install a piece of software called exam soft, which sounds 
similar to Exam4.  However, apparently exam soft is not compatible with 
jaws,meaning I must wipe my computer clean of all superfluous software and 
text files  before taking the exam.  Perhaps, as you inquired, someone on 
this list knows whether Exam4 is compatible with a screen reader. Or, 
perhaps someone at the VA state bar office can tell you that.  That the NCBE 
habitually denies blind test takers use of their technology is an absolute 
joke. I was denied an electronic version of the MBE and am currently in the 
appeals process.  Good luck.

Ben


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 4:53 PM
Subject: [blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied


> Hello,
>
>
>
> I asked for and was granted a Braille MBE and a Braille version of the 
> ssay
> questions. My request to write my answers to the essays was denied. I am
> supposed to dictate them to a court reporter. The documentation I received
> from the VA bar examiners is unclear as to whether or not I will first be
> able to prepare my answers in Braille and then dictate them (it 
> specifically
> says I can do this for the MBE, but not the essays), or whether I have to
> simply dictate my answers. I have serious concerns about my ability to
> perform effectively on the exam if it is the latter. I have never taken an
> essay test via dictation--I mentioned this in my accommodations request. I
> explained why the process was different for the MBE and the essay portion 
> of
> the bar, but apparently my explanation was not sufficient, not understood,
> or not accepted.
>
>
>
> Has anyone been granted the option to use a laptop during the 
> state-specific
> portion of the Bar exam? It is my understanding that this is fairly 
> common.
>
>
>
> Virginia does have a program whereby any person taking the exam can 
> register
> to take it via laptop, but I have concerns about the accessibility of the
> software they use, which disables all but some basic word-processing
> functions of the computer. The software is called Exam4, and the maker is
> Extegrity. Has anyone had experience with this software and a screen 
> reader?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Angie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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