ETS is committed to serving test takers with disabilities or health-related needs by providing services and reasonable accommodations that are appropriate given the purpose of the particular test. This abbreviated version of our documentation guidelines for blindness and low vision is provided as a quick reference. For full details, please review the "ETS Guidelines for Documentation of Blindness and Low Vision in Adolescents and Adults" below.
Note: Many individuals with visual impairments can apply for accommodations on ETS tests WITHOUT submitting documentation of their disability. Reference Section IV, "Who must submit documentation from a qualified professional?", of the policy statement.
For those who DO need to submit documentation of a visual impairment, the ETS Vision Documentation Statement has three parts:
- Part 1 is to be completed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- Part 2 is to be completed by the disability services provider or other qualified professional.
- Part 3 is to be completed by the test taker with a disability.
The Vision Documentation Statement must:
- Be completed by a qualified evaluator, usually an optometrist or ophthalmologist (Part 1).
Professionals conducting assessments, rendering diagnoses of visual impairments, offering clinical judgments, and making recommendations for accommodations must be qualified to do so.- Include the name, title, and credentials of the qualified professional writing the report.
- Include a diagnosis, a description of current functional limitations, a history, and any relevant current medical information.
Reference Section V, A of the policy statement.
- Reflect current functional limitations (Part 1; also parts 2 and/or 3, as appropriate).
Reference Section V of the policy statement. - Include specific recommendations with a rationale based on objective evidence (Parts 2 and 3; Part 1 if appropriate).
Establish a link between the requested accommodations or devices and the visual impairment that is pertinent to a standardized testing situation. Reference Section V, D of the policy statement.