LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY AND EQUITY IN A PROFICIENCY TEST TAKEN BY A VISUALLY IMPAIRED DOCTORAL STUDENT

Abstract

In this article, we share our experience as researchers, one of us a visually impaired doctoral student and the other a recent doctoral graduate and English teacher. The text addresses the experience of taking an English proficiency test requested for academic purposes. The aim is to describe and problematize how accessibility was achieved and the barriers faced by the first author—even after registering to take a supposedly adapted test. The analysis begins with the registration stage, continuing with the lack of training of test administrators and the way the test was adapted in terms of content, question application, and test time. In terms of theoretical background, we articulate aspects of Brazilian legislation related to the educational inclusion of individuals with disabilities and concepts from the field of language assessment. Among the findings, it is worth highlighting that the mere transposition of a written test into an oral format, with the support of a reader and a copyist, does not constitute an accessible and equitable test for visually impaired candidates.