Visual impairment and psychometric testing
These guidelines provide guidance for trained test users who need to test candidates who have a visual impairment.
31 January 2016
A person who is registered or certified blind or partially sighted was automatically regarded as disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (1995) and remains so, under the Equality Act 2010, which has replaced the DDA. The Equality Act legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
Under the Equality Act, an individual is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on their ability to carry out normal daily activities. Therefore, even without registration, it is likely that a person with significantly limited vision which is not easily corrected using glasses or contact lenses will be considered disabled under the provisions of the Equality Act.
The Act makes it unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person, and those who provide services must make them accessible to clients with disabilities. When tests are being used in connection with employment (e.g. in making selection decisions), employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled persons are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
In educational, clinical or other contexts, disabled people have the right to expect the same quality of service, including accuracy of diagnostics and assessment as other users of the service.