Prior Accommodations Approval

Each organization has a duty and responsibility to make its own accommodations determination, based on the individual’s current evidence of a disabling condition, the current task, and the current setting.  In some cases, an accommodation that may have been appropriate at one time in the past, or in another setting, may not be appropriate for the current exam.  Each accommodations request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

Because individuals even with the same diagnosis may have markedly different skills, abilities, limitations, and access needs, when reviewing accommodations requests we focus more on establishing a disability-related need, rather than a diagnosis per se.  

Candidates previously provided accommodations by their university optometry program or another institution may provide a verification letter.  OEBC will strongly consider evidence of prior accommodations approvals as well as the professional judgment of a candidate’s doctor or evaluator.  However, as noted above, OEBC will undertake its own independent, impartial review of each accommodations request, and consider the current task and setting (which may be different from that in which a person previously was approved for accommodations).  

OEBC is neither bound nor compelled to provide any or the same accommodations in for the current exam or any future exam.  Because OEBC administers two exams (written and OSCE) that have very different functional requirements and settings, you must submit a separate accommodations request for each exam and each administration.