[blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied

[Michael O. Hanson]

I was allowed to use a laptop when I took the bar exam in Minnesota.  I used 
it for esay questions.  I used a reader to take the MBE.


Mike Hanson
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied


> Hello craig,
>
>
>
> Thanks for this info. So far, I know of six states where people have been
> granted this accommodation. I am going to call the VA Board tomorrow to
> discuss the situation.
>
>
>
> Angie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Craig Borne
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 12:49 AM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Request for laptop during essay section denied
>
>
>
> Angie,
>
>
>
> I used my laptop for the Maryland essay portion of the bar exam.  I was
> given both the question and any abstracts on disk, and I was able to type 
> my
> answers on the computer.  I did not use any special computer software
> required by the board, and my answers were printed out to submit.  I was
> responsible for the laptop, disk drive (it was a floppy disk), and the
> printer.
>
>
>
> The MBE was read to me and my answers were oral.  I was given the name and
> number of the reader prior to the exam, so I could speak with the reader
> first.
>
>
>
> Craig
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Craig Borne
>
> Baltimore, Maryland
>
> "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial
> appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in
> defense of custom."  --Thomas Paine, Common Sense
>
>  _____
>
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Angie Matney
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 7:53 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
> 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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