UNC students share experiences with testing accommodations

As first semester midterms take place, some students with disabilities are experiencing testing accommodations for the first time.

UNC's Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office website states that students with accommodations must schedule their exams using the online hub at least one week in advance. 

UNC sophomore Maren Molinaro said she tried to use her testing accommodations for the first time for a recent midterm. 

Although Molinaro said she scheduled her midterm two weeks in advance, she said the EOC Testing Center was experiencing overflow and didn't prepare for her specific accommodations. 

When she arrived at the testing center to take her midterm, she said she encountered a long wait that cut into her exam time. After Molinaro signed in, she was told to take her midterm anywhere in the overflow room, she said.

Molinaro said she was confused because her accommodations include ergonomic seating and an alternative testing location. These specific accommodations are intended to mitigate stress-induced pain she experiences due to her chronic condition. 

Test schedules are based on the availability of space in the testing center, UNC Media Relations wrote in an email to The Daily Tar Heel. Media Relations wrote that those who wish to test at the location must allow for flexibility in scheduling as determined necessary by the center.

“It's really confusing and hard to actually schedule the exams through ARS,” Landon Cable, a UNC sophomore with testing accommodations for anxiety and bipolar disorder, said.

When he went to the EOC Testing Center to sign up for a chemistry exam he had about two weeks ago, Cable said he was turned away on two different days due to the center's schedule being full. Cable said there was no way for him to know that the testing center was at capacity because the online hub wasn't functioning properly.

He said his chemistry professor accommodated him independently of the EOC Office by letting Cable take the exam in his personal office. 

Cable said the EOC Office is now sending students weekly email reminders to schedule exams with the center. 

Molinaro said that upon request, another testing center staff member gave her two seating options in different private testing rooms for her midterm, and she chose one that worked for her.

However, she said she was unaware until later that the staff had not restarted her time limit to compensate for the time spent accommodating her. She said she had to forgo another accommodation, a 30-minute break, to finish her exam on time.

“So, my accommodations, at this point, aren't helpful,” Molinaro said.

Media Relations wrote in an email to The DTH that no one from the EOC Office was available for an interview about testing accommodations. 

A testing coordinator from the testing center also declined to comment when asked in person and over email about student testing accommodations, saying they were told to direct any inquiries from The DTH to Media Relations.

After her experience at the testing center, Molinaro said she emailed the EOC Office about the occurence. She said they responded quickly and made the proper arrangements for her future testing. 

Alexandra Morrill, a UNC sophomore who used her testing accommodations for the first time this semester, said she was unaware of the scheduling process during her first few exams. 

Morrill said she did not know she could get accommodations for her ADHD until a friend informed her this summer. This prompted Morrill to get an official ADHD diagnosis and apply for EOC accommodations, which were approved as of the current academic year, she said. 

The testing accommodations provide Morrill additional time on assessments and a distraction-free testing area, which she said allow her to focus and go at her own pace.

She said testing center staff cares about student success regardless of individual accommodations, creating a judgment-free zone.

“It's just peaceful in a way, and the instructors aren't rude,” Morrill said. “They're very understanding as well.”

But Cable said that if the department cares about students' disabilities and accommodations, they should improve their system.

“I guess my whole message is: If you're going to do it, do it right,” he said.

@reganxbutler

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