[blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied

[Rod Alcidonis]

Jim:

You are absolutely right. The director of the Board of Law Examiners in 
Pennsylvania told me the same thing. He said he would be glad to allow me to 
take the MBE electronically but since its not his exam, and the MBE folks 
aren't allowing it, he has to comply. The denial for the essay, however, is 
a state matter.

Rod Alcidonis, J.D.
C. 718-704-4651
roddj12 at hotmail.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "McCarthy, Jim" <JMcCarthy at nfb.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied


> To be fair about the MBE part of things, I actually think that
> California is denying your request because they cannot get an electronic
> version from the multistate Bar Examination body.  It would seem that an
> accessible MBE is possible, but I don't think they have done anything to
> make it a reality.  It seems, therefore, that protesting the state's
> board of examiners decision, which I think is the result of their
> inability to get from the MBE folks what you ask for, will not get you
> very far.  In recent years I have thought about this some because as Rod
> states, it seems that most states, apparently but for Virginia, allow
> use of a computer for the essay part of their exams these days.  The
> legal profession certainly is slow to change.
> Best
> Jim McCarthy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Ben Karpilow
> Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 1:09 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied
>
> 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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>
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