Proctorio’s software was built with accessibility in mind from day one. Even before the pandemic, we were committed to expanding access for learners who could not easily participate in the traditional education system because of extenuating circumstances or abilities.

But as Proctorio has evolved, so too has awareness for accommodating test takers of all abilities, with standards such as WCAG 2.1 AA of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Titles I, II, and III of the ADA, and EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe.

We first engaged with outside experts in 2015 to ensure Proctorio was held to the highest standard on accessibility and digital equity for students of all abilities. In July 2015, Proctorio hired Deque Systems, a leading digital accessibility company, to assess Proctorio’s accessibility compliance and to oversee the generation of all Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) created since the engagement began, including a VPAT 301, VPAT 508, and VPAT WCAG 2.1 AA.

Proctorio’s software offers high-contrast visibility mode, braille reader support, and is compatible with many assistive technologies such as JAWS, NVDA, ChromeVox and VoiceOver.

To further evaluate the effectiveness of our accessibility tools, we have partnered with My Blind Spot (MBS), a New York City-based, internationally-certified nonprofit consultancy, to conduct ongoing quality testing and accessibility and usability audits of our technology. MBS will provide software and design recommendations, accessibility-related user testing, accessibility audits, and continue to update our VPATs every six months.

MBS, whose mission is to “inspire Accessibility for people of All abilities,” delivers ADA, 508, ISO 40500, and WCAG inclusive Digital IT Solutions to governmental agencies, other private sector corporations, educational institutions, and community-based organizations. MBS has provided Proctorio its initial audit of our technology and concluded that “when compared to industry competition, Proctorio was leaps and bounds ahead of others when it comes to digital equity, authentic inclusion, and overall accessibility and usability compliance.”

Through our partnership with My Blind Spot, we will be designing an accommodation interface where the exam administrator or the appropriate representative will be able to change settings on a per test taker basis. Instead of creating separate assignments for test takers needing an accomodation, Proctorio can be customized based upon an individual’s needs.

MBS will work to further enhance Proctorio’s accessibility by providing software design consultation, staff training, biannual VPATs, accessibility testing, and other services to ensure industry compliance and equitable access among all end users.

We look forward to continuing our commitment to delivering an accessible and usable end user experience. To learn more about the accessibility and usability of our software, please refer to Proctorio’s VPAT 301, VPAT 508, and VPAT WCAG 2.1 AA. If you have comments to share or need guidance in using our platform to provide accommodations, please email us at [email protected].

Note: This blog post was updated for clarity on June 23, 2021.