HSC disability provisions guide for teachers and parents

Types of evidence

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This section includes the most common provisions and the evidence that is required for a student to be eligible for these provisions.

Evidence required will vary depending on the reason the provision is needed.

This list of provisions is not exhaustive.

    Principal-determined provisions

    The principal has the authority to determine a student’s eligibility for the following provisions based on evidence provided to the school (the school must submit an application to NESA with the student declaration attached and hold other evidence at the school):

    • coloured lenses or overlay
    • special lighting
    • bite-sized food
    • drink (other than water)
    • medication
    • padded chair/pillow
    • special desk
    • special chair
    • varied seating (within main cohort)
    • permission to stand/stretch
    • ventilation
    • heat pack
    • ice pack
    • towel (to wipe excess moisture from hands)
    • headphones – wired (for listening exams only)
    • individual instructions
    • vision aids.

    NESA-determined provisions

    Alternative venue (eg hospital supervision)
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student in hospital (for example, undergoing treatment)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Alternative venue form completed by the school and the venue
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Black and white papers (Geography and Visual Arts only)
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Colour vision deficiency
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comment form, completed by the relevant teacher(s)
    • Student declaration
    Braille exam papers
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student’s normal practice is to access text using braille (for example, severe vision impairment)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Brailler
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student’s normal practice is to respond using a Brailler (for example, severe vision impairment)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Coloured paper

    Coloured paper ONLY from this range: Paperline blue, Paperline green, Paperline pink, Paperline ivory, Paperline yellow, Trophee lilac

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Irlen syndrome/scotopic sensitivity
    • YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results – test conducted on white paper
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Must include evidence of the school providing coloured paper
    • Student declaration
    Vision impairment (for example, albinism, achromatopia causing glare distress)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Computer
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Eligibility for a writer (see above) and inability to dictate
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability, and evidence of why student cannot access the exam using other provisions, such as a writer
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form (unless handwriting causes pain or is physically impossible)
    • Two typed samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Vision impairment requiring the use of screen reader (for example, JAWS)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Diabetic provisions

    Includes breaks to test Blood Glucose Level, eat, drink, take insulin, go to the toilet and time to recover, if required.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Diabetes
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of diabetes
    • Student declaration
    Enlarged font (N18/N24/N36)
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Vision disability
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Examiner/marker aware

    For example, a student in a speaking or performance examination who requires accommodation where the student has a stutter or is unable to maintain eye contact. This provision does not involve variation to marking guidelines.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Medical/hearing/vision (for example, stutter, student relies on lip reading)
    • NESA Medical/Hearing/Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms completed by the relevant subject teachers, with specific details on how markers/examiners need to accommodate the student in the exam
    • Student declaration
    Extra time (other than impaired typed /written output)
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Reading disability
    • YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Hearing impairment with associated language delay
    • NESA Hearing form
    • YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Slower processing (eg medication, brain injury)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form and/or YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Physical impediment (eg cerebral palsy)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Vision impairment
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Extra time to type

    Applies when a student is approved a computer or undertaking an online exam, for example, Science Extension.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Impaired written output (due to physical or cognitive impairment)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Extra time to write
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Impaired written output (due to physical or cognitive impairment)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Home supervision
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student unable to leave home
    (for example, extreme social phobia)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Alternative venue form completed by the school and the venue
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Individual supervision
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Condition that causes student to disrupt others or incapable of working near others (for example, Tourette’s syndrome, extreme social phobia)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Infant feeding breaks (breastfeeding)
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Baby born shortly before HSC exams
    • Medical confirmation of pregnancy with expected delivery date or medical confirmation of birth
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Screen reader software (e.g. JAWS, NVDA) to read exam questions
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student’s normal practice is to access text using JAWS, NVDA, etc. (for example, vision impairment)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Screen reader software (e.g. JAWS, NVDA) to read exam responses
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student’s normal practice is to access their responses using JAWS, NVDA, etc.
    (for example, vision impairment)
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Modified exam paper

    Eg, non-instrument paper – modifying questions that require drawing or measuring; or textual description to replace images.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Student unable to access standard exam questions (for example, severe cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Modified paper information profile completed by school (in Supporting Evidence section of disability provisions application form)
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Severe vision impairment
    • NESA Vision form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Modified paper information profile completed by school (in Supporting Evidence section of disability provisions application form)
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Oral interpreter
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Hearing impairment
    • NESA Hearing form, including diagnosis of a related disability and an unaided audiogram
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Reader or electronic reader/C-pen
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Reading disability
    • YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Irlen syndrome/Scotopic sensitivity
    • YARC (Level 2), WIAT-II or WIAT-III reading test results
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Rest breaks
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Anxiety disorder*
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    • * All students experience some degree of anxiety. Disability provisions are for students with a diagnosed disability
    Fatigue
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Pain
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Concentration difficulties
    (for example, ADHD)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Sign interpreter
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Hearing impairment
    • NESA Hearing form, including diagnosis of a related disability and an unaided audiogram
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Small group supervision
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Social anxiety disorder
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Hearing impairment (for example, tinnitus, difficulty with ambient noise)
    • NESA Hearing form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Support person/prompter

    For example, someone to physically manipulate exam papers or equipment or prompt the student to proceed to next question.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Inability to move independently through the exam OR needs physical assistance (for example, obsessive compulsive disorder, significant cerebral palsy)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Support person to be the reader/writer

    Student must be eligible for reader and/or writer.

    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Inability to communicate with a reader and/or writer that meets the NESA reader/writer rules (for example, autism spectrum disorder)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Thesaurus/dictionary
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Hearing impairment
    • NESA Hearing form, including diagnosis of a related disability and an unaided audiogram
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Toilet breaks
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Need for frequent or extended toilet breaks (for example, Crohn’s disease, bladder/urinary tract infection)
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Writer
    Disability/condition/symptomEvidence required
    Pain
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Spelling
    • South Australian Spelling Test, WIAT-II or WIAT-III spelling test result
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration
    Impaired written output
    • NESA Medical form, including diagnosis of a related disability
    • Two writing samples that meet the criteria outlined on the Writing Sample Information form
    • NESA teacher comments forms, completed by each of the student’s teachers
    • Student declaration

    Related links

    Managing exam stress

    Managing exam stress: printable fact sheets designed to help students with stress ahead of exams. They include evidence-based advice for:

    Contact us

    For advice on other provisions, schools can contact the NESA Student Support:

    Parents and students should contact their school in the first instance.

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