Persons with Disabilities

Exam candidates who have been approved to take the NCIDQ Examination may apply for test accommodations using the Application for Test Accommodations form. Review the Non-Discrimination Policy below before you apply.

Previously granted requests do not constitute a guarantee for accommodations. To request accommodations for a future NCIDQ Examination, candidates are required to reapply using the Application for Test Accommodations form.

Non-Discrimination Policy for People with Disabilities

• Introduction
• Confidentiality
• Requesting Test Accommodations
• Documenting a Request for Test Accommodations
• Additional Information for Learning and Cognitive Disabilities
• Additional Information for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Appeal Process
• Courtesy Requests

Introduction

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws in the United States and Canada, NCIDQ does not discriminate against people with disabilities in providing access to its examination program. NCIDQ provides appropriate accommodations for its examinations for individuals with documented disabilities who demonstrate a need for accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and accompanying regulations define a person with a disability as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as walking, seeing, hearing, or learning. The purpose of documentation is to validate that the candidate is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act or other applicable laws. Comprehensive information provided by a qualified professional is necessary to allow NCIDQ to understand the nature and extent of the candidate’s disability and the resulting functional impairment that limits access to its examinations. Documentation also allows NCIDQ to provide appropriate accommodations for such a disability.

It is important to note that the objectives of the multiple-choice and practicum (design) examinations are different: the multiple-choice examination tests the examinee’s fund of cognitive knowledge relevant to Interior Design; the practicum examination tests the ability to utilize that knowledge in the technical and judgmental situations related to design development. Therefore, no candidate shall be excused from either the multiple-choice or practicum (design) examination or offered a modification which would compromise either examination’s ability to test accurately the skills and knowledge it purports to measure. Similarly, no auxiliary aid or service will be provided which will fundamentally alter either examination or will result in an undue burden to NCIDQ.

Confidentiality

NCIDQ strictly adheres to a policy of confidentiality and does not disclose names of candidates with disabilities or information concerning the application or accompanying documentation. Examinations administered with accommodations are not identified to scorers (or to third party score recipients) as such and are scored using standard NCIDQ scoring methods.

Requesting Test Accommodations

An individual requesting test accommodations must submit an Application for Test Accommodations with a printout of the examination registration confirmation, or under separate cover, by the late registration deadline indicated in the NCIDQ Examination Registration Guide. Applications should be sent via mail or express delivery service (FedEx/UPS/etc.).

In order to allow sufficient time for a thorough review of documentation material, the request, with complete documentation, must be received by NCIDQ no later than the late examination registration deadline. NCIDQ encourages candidates to submit their request for test accommodation and accompanying documentation at the beginning of the registration cycle to facilitate processing and accommodation delivery.

Documentation of the disabling condition and need for accommodations must accompany the request. Candidates must read the guidelines for documenting a request for test accommodations and share them with the professional who will be preparing their documentation.

Documenting a Request for Test Accommodations

Candidates must provide a detailed, comprehensive written report from a qualified professional describing their disability and its severity and explaining the need for the requested accommodations. The report should:

• State a specific diagnosis of the disability using professionally recognized nomenclature, e.g., American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV); International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
• Be current. Because the provision of accommodations is based on the current impact of the disability on the testing activity, the evaluation should have been conducted no more than three years prior to the request for accommodations.
• Clearly describe the specific diagnostic criteria and name the diagnostic tests used, including date(s) of evaluation, list specific test results and provide a detailed interpretation of the test results in support of the diagnosis. The report should include all relevant educational, developmental and medical history.
• Give a detailed description of the candidate’s current functional limitations due to the diagnosed disability and an explanation of how the diagnostic test results relate to the identified functional limitations. Fully describe the impact of the disability on physical, perceptual and cognitive abilities.
• Recommend specific accommodations including assistive devices. Provide a detailed explanation of why these accommodations or devices are needed and how they will reduce the impact of the identified functional limitations on the specific examination for which they are requested.
• Report any accommodations the candidate currently uses in daily functioning, especially professional and work-related activities and any past accommodations the candidate received on examinations because of the disability.
• Provide contact information and credentials of the professional evaluator that qualify him/her to make the diagnosis, including information about professional license or certification and specialization in the area of the diagnosis. The dated report must be written on the professional evaluator’s letterhead and clearly indicate the name, address, telephone number and qualifications of the professional. The evaluator should present evidence of comprehensive training and direct experience in the diagnosis and treatment of adults in the specific area of disability.
• The documentation should include any record of prior accommodation or auxiliary aids, including any information about specific conditions under which the accommodations were used and whether or not they were effective. However, a prior history of accommodation, without demonstration of a current need, does not in and of itself warrant the provision of a similar accommodation.
• If no prior accommodations have been provided, the qualified professional expert should include a detailed explanation as to why no accommodations were given in the past and why accommodations are needed now.

Additional Information for Learning and Cognitive Disabilities

The evaluation must be conducted by a qualified professional with comprehensive training in the field of learning disabilities. Testing conducted as part of the comprehensive psychoeducational assessment should be no more than three years old. A developmental disorder such as a learning disability originates in childhood and, therefore, school history and other information which demonstrates a history of impaired functioning should be included. Wherever possible, actual school records, psychological reports and other objective historical information should be provided.

Documentation must be comprehensive. The report should include a comprehensive history-taking with relevant background information and appropriate test data to support the diagnosis, including the following: a description of the presenting problem(s); a developmental history; relevant academic history including results of prior standardized testing, school reports and notable trends in academic performance; relevant family history, including primary language of the home and current level of fluency in English; relevant medical and employment history; a differential diagnosis, exploring and ruling out possible alternative or co-existing mood, behavioral, neurological and/or personality disorders which may impact the individual’s learning; a comprehensive battery of age-appropriate, normed diagnostic tests; and, a diagnosis based on a convergence of all test data, history and level of current functioning. It is not acceptable to base a diagnosis on only one or two subtests.

Problems such as test anxiety, English as a second language (in and of itself), slow reading without an identified underlying cognitive deficit or failure to achieve a desired outcome on a test are not learning disabilities and are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Additional Information for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The evaluation must consist of more than patient observations and self-report. Information from third party sources is critical in the diagnosis of adult ADHD. The evaluation and report should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following: history of presenting attentional symptoms, including evidence of ongoing impulsive/hyperactive or inattentive behavior that has significantly impaired functioning over time; developmental history; family history for presence of ADHD and other educational, learning, physical or psychological difficulties deemed relevant by the examiner; relevant medical and medication history, including the absence of a medical basis for the symptoms being evaluated; relevant psychosocial history and any relevant interventions; a thorough academic history of elementary, secondary and postsecondary education; evidence of impairment in several life settings (home, school, work, etc.) and evidence that the disorder significantly restricts one or more major life activities; relevant employment history; description of current functional limitations relative to an educational setting, including test taking, that are presumably a direct result of the described problems with attention; a discussion of the differential diagnosis, including alternative or co-existing mood, behavioral, neurological and/or personality disorders that may confound the diagnosis of ADHD; and, test scores or subtest scores from a neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment that may be helpful in determining the individual’s pattern of strengths or weaknesses and in determining whether there are patterns supportive of attention problems. However, test scores alone cannot be used as the sole basis for the diagnostic decision.

The report must include a specific diagnosis of ADHD based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Individuals who report problems with organization, test anxiety, memory and concentration only on a situational basis do not fit the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Given that many individuals benefit from prescribed medications and therapies, a positive response to medication by itself is not supportive of a diagnosis, nor does the use of medication in and of itself either support or negate the need for accommodation. Because of the challenge of distinguishing ADHD from normal developmental patterns and behaviors of adults, including procrastination, disorganization, distractibility, restlessness, boredom, academic underachievement or test failure, low self-esteem and chronic tardiness or nonattendance, a multifaceted evaluation must address the intensity and frequency of the symptoms and whether these behaviors constitute an impairment in a major life activity.

Appeal Process

Any candidate who is denied accommodations may appeal this decision by submitting the following materials to the Executive Director of NCIDQ: a written request for a formal appeal of the denial of accommodations. The request should describe the rationale for the appeal based on additional information not previously provided to NCIDQ or clarify other reasons justifying a reconsideration; and, additional written information in support of the appeal, such as new diagnostic or treatment information from the treating professional.

The appeal materials must be sent together in a single mailing that is postmarked within 30 days of the date indicated on the letter of denial of accommodations. At its next regularly scheduled meeting, the NCIDQ Board of Directors will review the appeal and accompanying materials, and make a determination. The Board’s determination is final and binding on both the Board and the candidate.

Candidates with other reasons for test accommodations (such as pregnancy, diabetes, or other conditions not generally covered by the ADA) should submit a written request to NCIDQ. The letter of request must be received by NCIDQ by the late registration deadline. The letter should be specific as to the type of accommodation(s) requested and reasons the accommodation is needed.