How can ELLs with disabilities take English proficiency assessments if, by the nature of their disability, they cannot perform one of the skills tested?
State English proficiency assessments must include measures of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In some cases, ELLs with disabilities cannot perform one of the required skills. For example, an ELL who is deaf will not be able to take a listening test. Similarly, an ELL with a speech disability may not be able to take a speaking test. In these cases, it is important to consider whether the student can demonstrate the required skill in some other way. A deaf student who uses American Sign Language may be able to demonstrate comprehension of signed speech in place of listening to spoken speech. If the skill with which the student has trouble is not required on the assessment, such as when a student with visual impairments cannot see the pictures used to assess knowledge of vocabulary, then the difficulty lies within the assessment rather than the student. Applying Universal Design procedures during test development would help to improve some of these difficulties.
