When in-person classes ended in mid-March, accessibility services staff at the University of Toronto’s three campuses faced a daunting challenge: how to ensure the more than 7,000 students who use accommodations could complete their final exams.
For some students, writing a test remotely presented no difficulty; for others it created new barriers. “You can imagine if you’re a student with vision concerns, doing an online exam is going to be problematic,” said Michael Nicholson, director of accessibility services on the St. George campus. “Students who are recovering from a concussion or head injury are often not supposed to use a computer for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.”