Summary of Sections:

1. General Information for All Candidates with Disabilities (ADA-Eligible & Non-ADA-Type)
2. Information Specific for Candidates with ADA-Eligible Disabilities
3. Information Specific for Candidates with Non-ADA-Type Disabilities

Section 1: General Information

In accordance with the following guidelines, the National Board will provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified candidates for any NBEO examinations. Disabilities are more readily accommodated for NBEO written examinations. Part III CSE candidates with disabilities are accommodated when it is possible to do so without sacrificing the integrity and purpose of the Clinical Skills Examination, which by its very essence is a TIMED SKILLS ASSESSMENT. A diagnosis of ADA-eligible or non-ADA-type impairment by itself is not sufficient to warrant testing accommodations. There must also be compelling evidence that there is a substantial limitation in a major life activity when compared with the average person in the general population. The need for test accommodations must be adequately justified in all cases.

A candidate must be registered for the impending exam BEFORE requesting any type of test accommodation. It is best to REGISTER AND APPLY FOR TEST ACCOMMODATIONS EARLY.

• The ADA-eligible registration period extends from the date that Exam Registration opens until the ADA-eligible deadline, 77 days (11 weeks) before all Exam Test Days (except for 28 days (4 weeks) prior to the ACMO Test Day). In other words, for all exams except ACMO, the ADA deadline is 2 weeks prior to the registration deadline.
• Non-ADA-type requests and documentation should be filed within 28 days of Test Day, as soon as possible within that 28-day time period, to allow sufficient time for the NBEO to process the request. Application timing is of the essence as Test Day approaches.
• Both ADA-eligible and non-ADA-type disability request parameters are differentiated below, each in their own section.

Candidates request both types of test accommodation by completing the Request for Test Accommodation Form and submitting it to the NBEO by email, fax, or U.S. mail. This request form must be accompanied by current, written, qualified documentation supporting the accommodation requested. The supporting documentation must originate from an appropriate healthcare professional or ADA disability evaluator and must contain specific components which are listed in the Documentation Guidelines/Requirements. All documentation from healthcare professionals and disability evaluators must be emailed, faxed, or mailed to the NBEO directly from the assessment provider. Evaluations and reports sent in by candidates will not be accepted. Only Requests for Test Accommodation Forms are submitted by candidates.

	All disability documentation must be submitted to the NBEO directly from the assessment provider. This information may be sent, ATTN: ADA Coordinator, via:
	email, at nbeo@optometry.org fax, at 704.332.9568 U.S. mail, to National Board of Examiners in Optometry 200 South College Street, Suite 2010 Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

The National Board reserves the right to obtain a second professional opinion regarding any candidate's disability information, at NBEO expense, and to request additional justifying information. The source of any disability documentation may be verified by the NBEO.

Use of ANY medical appliance or non-standard item in ANY exam room requires prior NBEO pre-approval through successful assignment of an ADA-eligible or non-ADA-type test accommodation following submission of a Request for Test Accommodation form and credible medical documentation. All such appliances or items are subject to inspection by the exam proctor prior to the beginning of the exam.

REQUEST APPROVAL: When the National Board determines that an ADA-eligible or non-ADA-type accommodation is justified and appropriate, the candidate will receive a Test Accommodation Agreement signed by the NBEO ADA Coordinator. The specific accommodation to be granted will be described in this Agreement.

REQUEST DENIAL: When the National Board denies a request for accommodation, the candidate will be notified in writing, by the ADA Coordinator, with an explanation of the reason(s) for denial. The candidate may APPEAL the denial decision (this step requires extra time). All ADA-eligible and non-ADA-type test accommodation appeals must be submitted using the Appeal Form found on the National Board website at: http://www.optometry.org/appeals.cfm.

• ADA-ELIGIBLE DISABILITY APPEAL: Assuming candidates initiated this type of test accommodation process sufficiently EARLY, thus allowing time for an appeal, the Appeal Form must be accompanied by additional supportive disability documentation. All new material must be submitted prior to the ADA-eligible application deadline (77 days prior to all NBEO exam Test Days except for ACMO, which is 28 days).
• NON-ADA-TYPE DISABILITY APPEAL: Assuming there is adequate time prior to Test Day following this type of accommodation request denial, an Appeal Form must be submitted along with additional limitation documentation. Unfortunately, LAST-MINUTE non-ADA-type disability requests and/or appeals are often denied due to the considerable time involved in processing test accommodations from initial request to final implementation.

	Exam dates and ADA-eligible test accommodation application deadline dates are fixed for all written and computer-based NBEO exams (ABS, PAM, TMOD, and ACMO):
	2011 Exam	Test Day	ADA-ELIGIBLE Registration Deadline
	ACMO	June 3	Expired
	Part I (ABS)	August 2 - 3	Expired
	Part II (PAM) & TMOD	November 29	September 12
	In contrast, individual CSE Test Days at the NCCTO are not fixed, but rather range from August 2011 through April 2012. Therefore, the ADA-eligible test accommodation application deadline date for CSE changes daily. These deadlines range from May 2011 through February 2012, 77 days (11 weeks) before individual Test Days.
	Part III (CSE)	September 2011 – April 2012	77 days prior to Test Day
	For example, the ADA-eligible deadline date for an October 25, 2011 NCCTO Part III CSE appointment is August 9, 2011. ALL test accommodation materials (accommodation request, documentation, appeal, if necessary, and the appeal’s new evidence of limitation) must be received by the NBEO by midnight, August 9, 2011.

Section 2: ADA-Eligible Disabilities

The National Board recognizes its responsibilities according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Only completed applications received in accordance with the ADA-eligible Application Deadline and Documentation Guidelines will be reviewed for ADA-eligible disabilities. Examples of ADA-eligible conditions include, but are not limited to, a wide variety of long-term learning disabilities, visual limitations, and hearing loss.

FOR PART I ABS, PART II PAM, AND TMOD: The National Board must receive the Request for Test Accommodation Form and ALL supporting documentation, including appeal material if necessary, by the ADA-eligible deadline date, which is 77 days (11 weeks) prior to the FIXED testing date for these exams (2 weeks prior to the fixed-date exam registration deadline).

FOR ACMO: All test accommodation material must be received by the NBEO by the ADA-eligible deadline date that applies to ACMO, which is 28 days (4 weeks) prior to Test Day. The ACMO deadline is unique because the exam administration is computer-based, which simplifies implementation of any accommodation granted.

FOR PART III CSE: All test accommodation material must be received by the NBEO by the ADA-eligible deadline date, 77 days (11 weeks) prior to the INDIVIDUAL CSE Test Day selected by the candidate.

Both the evaluation of accommodation requests, including extensive analysis of the required supportive documentation, and the provision of accommodation(s) for ADA-eligible limitations are time-consuming processes. Since the request and ALL related evidence of ADA-eligible disability must be received by the NBEO by midnight of the ADA-eligible deadline date, it is suggested that candidates initiate the application process well before the deadline date. Application may be made as early as the date that exam registration opens. This is important in order to allow time for the candidate to acquire additional documentation, if needed, to complete the evaluation process, or to leave adequate time for an appeal of a request denial and submission of supplementary assessment records. All ADA-eligible appeals must be initiated prior to the ADA-eligible application deadline and must be accompanied by additional supportive evidence of disability submitted directly from the disability evaluator before midnight of the deadline date.

FOR PART I ABS, PART II PAM, TMOD, and ACMO: Separate test accommodation requests must be submitted prior to each NBEO testing event.

FOR PART III CSE: Since candidates are permitted to alter their CSE testing dates without penalty up to 30 days prior to their appointment dates, ADA-eligible decisions that grant accommodations specific to Part III CSE MAY remain valid for up to 90 days from the date of the accommodation decision. The National Board reserves the right to determine continued validity of the accommodation decision. After 90 days, candidates must submit another Request for Test Accommodation Form to initiate NBEO consideration of and potential preparation for ADA-eligible test accommodations.

Section 3: Non-ADA-Type Disabilities

Candidates with physical conditions not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but which limit functionality may also request test accommodations for any NBEO examination. An example of a non-ADA-type condition includes, but is not limited to, a broken bone that would require the short-term use of crutches in an exam room, or a temporary bladder problem that would necessitate extra restroom breaks, or use of a pharmaceutical infusion pump to assist with fleeting medical circumstances. Newly acquired or temporary conditions of this nature must be of recent onset relative to Test Day (must have become a limiting factor less than 77 days prior to Test Day). Because these conditions did not exist before the ADA disability deadline expired, a different time frame is observed for submission of accommodation requests, documentation, appeals, and supplemental assessment materials.

For this type of limitation, the candidate must complete and email, fax, or mail to the NBEO the Request for Test Accommodation Form no more than 28 days before Test Day. Detailed assessment documentation from an appropriate healthcare provider also must be submitted directly from the provider to the NBEO via email, fax, or mail (see first red box above for remittance addresses and numbers). Essentially, this report of non-ADA-type disability must include, but is not limited to, a clear description of the condition and functional limitation; its date of onset; how the disability limits the performance of tasks as compared to average individuals within the general population; and an explanation of the specific accommodation that is recommended. The healthcare provider’s reference to the Documentation Guidelines/ Requirements is necessary to ensure that a comprehensive disability report is prepared by this professional disability evaluator. Though these conditions may have presented up to 76 days prior to Test Day, non-ADA-type disability evaluations must be conducted no more than 28 days prior to Test Day to document that the disability remains a limiting factor as Test Day approaches. This time constriction is necessary because the National Board strives to avoid giving any candidates an unfair advantage by granting inappropriate, unmerited test accommodations.

Though there is a defined application interval for ADA-eligible accommodation requests, there is no application deadline for this category of disability. However, to allow the NBEO adequate time to process the non-ADA-type accommodation request, the Request for Test Accommodation Form and ALL documentation, including extended information required in the event of an appeal of a request denial, should be submitted as soon as possible within 28 days before the candidate’s Test Day. Failure to present all application material in timely fashion likely will result in the NBEO’s inability to provide accommodation for the functional limitation.

FOR PART I ABS, PART II PAM, TMOD, AND ACMO: Because of the temporary or recent-onset nature of non-ADA-type disabling conditions that qualify for NBEO consideration, any test accommodation decision applies only to the original Test Day identified on the Request for Test Accommodation Form. Because this class of disability is temporary in nature, each separate non-ADA-type request for test accommodations must be accompanied by updated documentation of limitation (evaluation performed less than 28 days before Test Day) in order to initiate NBEO re-consideration of and potential preparation for any non-ADA-type test accommodation that may be granted.

FOR PART III CSE: Separate non-ADA-type test accommodation requests must be submitted prior to every rescheduled CSE Test Day UNLESS the rescheduled CSE Test Day is SOONER than the original date, OR if the rescheduled Test Day is 28 days or less after the original Test Day. Because this class of disability is temporary in nature, each separate non-ADA-type request for test accommodations must be accompanied by updated documentation of limitation (evaluation performed less than 28 days prior to Test Day) in order to initiate NBEO re-consideration of and potential preparation for any non-ADA-type test accommodation that may be granted.

	ADA-Eligible and Non-ADA-Type Test Accommodation Comparison and Examples
	ADA-eligible:	Application: apply EARLY; deadline is 77 days prior to Test Day (ACMO, 28 days) Example: reading disability; chronic condition of long-term duration Accommodation: extra hour of test time Documentation: psychological or psychiatric evaluations related to ADA-eligible conditions must have been conducted within the past three years; physical limitation evaluations related to ADA-eligible conditions must have been conducted no more than 3 months before the deadline since manifestations of disability may change over time
	Non-ADA-type:	Application: apply within 28 days of Test Day but as soon as possible within that time interval Example: broken ankle bone; temporary condition of recent onset Accommodation: extra chair next to exam table for leg elevation during exam to avoid ankle swelling Documentation: All medical/physical conditions causing non-ADA-type limitation require documentation of the treating physician’s examination and test accommodation recommendations; exam must be conducted within 28 days of Test Day

General Test Accommodation Application Reminder:

A specific application deadline applies to any chronic, long-term ADA-ELIGIBLE DISABILITY. For this group, any requests, documentation, appeals, or supplemental evaluation materials submitted after the ADA-eligible application deadline will not be accepted or considered by the NBEO. The deadline is 77 days before Part I ABS, Part II PAM, PART III CSE, or TMOD Test Days, or 28 days prior to ACMO Test Day.

The accommodation request and evidentiary material for the NON-ADA-TYPE DISABILITY must be received by the NBEO within 28 days of Test Day. The unique application rules are due SOLELY to this category’s TEMPORARY or RECENT-ONSET nature. This group of conditions is limited to those impairments that did not exist 77 days prior Part I ABS, Part II PAM, PART III CSE, or TMOD Test Days, or 28 days prior to ACMO Test Day.