Accessibility Checklist for Organizers of Entrance Examinations in Performing Arts

Publishers: Making space for artistry Project / Culture for All Service and the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts at Tampere University, 2024

Equality and accessibility in entrance exams ensure applicants the opportunity to receive information about the admission process and to participate in its various stages, regardless of the applicant’s personal attributes or traits. Accessibility ensures that entrance exams are safe for everyone and that applicants can present their best qualities.

Accessibility can be addressed on multiple levels. The individual accommodations applied in entrance exams are practical arrangements based on the Non-Discrimination Act and laws regulating educational institutions’ activities. A student can request them due to illness, disability, or impairment. A statement from an expert regarding the applicant’s condition or disability is required for accommodations to be implemented.

In addition to individual accommodations, accessibility should be considered at all stages and in all structures of the entrance exam as needed. Not all impairments are visible. An applicant may have specific needs related to their disability that do not require formal individual arrangements but should still be taken into consideration.

Planning the Admission Process

• Consider in the schedule that implementing an accessible admission process may require modifying the curriculum or the admission criteria. Therefore, start planning accessibility well in advance, ideally a year before the entrance exam.
• Strive to ensure that the group planning and implementing the entrance exam is diverse and includes people from underrepresented groups.
• Ensure that the experts involved in the various phases of the admission process have sufficient knowledge and understanding of accessibility issues, such as individual arrangements. Accessibility training is offered by several organizations, such as the Culture for All Service.
• You can use your institution’s equality plan as a guide but be prepared to develop and find practical solutions yourself, without ready-made plans.

Reviewing Admission Criteria and Curriculum

• When evaluating the accessibility of studies and entrance exams, do not assume what is or is not possible—investigate. This may involve familiarizing yourself with the latest accessibility solutions or developing your own solutions.
• More information on accessibility solutions can be found, for example, from disability organizations and the Culture for All Service.
• Review the core competencies aimed for in the curriculum and the ways in which students can acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities. Can core competencies be achieved through methods that challenge existing norms?
• Be cautious of optical diversity considerations that do not lead to practical decisions or actions. An example of this is when an educational institution’s website welcomes all applicants, but no concrete steps have been taken to ensure accessibility during the entrance exams.

Information and Communication

• Check whether information is available about the accessibility of the studies and the support available during the studies. Does the applicant gain a sufficient understanding of what the studies entail—what are they applying for?
• Clearly state in the announcement what type of activities the applicant will be required to perform at each stage of the entrance exam and how accessibility can be promoted for them. Also, mention the possibility to apply for individual arrangements. Example: The tasks of the entrance exam involve movement and speaking on stage, interviews, and written tasks.
• Describe the conditions and the nature of the tasks in the entrance exam rather than listing potential diagnoses of applicants. For example, you can describe the auditory environment (e.g., availability of an induction loop), the accessibility of the space, or any movement barriers.
• Strive for simple and clear language in the application instructions, application forms, and communications. You can refer to guidelines such as the Finnish Centre for Easy Language’s tips on using Easy language.
• Ensure that the layout of the website, application form, and communication materials are as accessible as possible. See for example the guidelines of clear visual design by the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (in Finnish).
• Collaborate with various organizations to ensure your announcement reaches underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, sign language users, and applicants with foreign backgrounds.
• If the application format is fixed and does not allow adding invitations for diverse applicants, you can ask organizations to encourage applicants from underrepresented groups to apply.

Accessibility of Entrance Exam Tasks

• Ensure that applicants are informed in advance about how they can apply for individual arrangements. State in the admission criteria what these arrangements could be and encourage applicants to ask for further information.
• Clearly state in the announcement that individual arrangements must be requested during the first phase of the application process, within the national deadline.
• There are national recommendations regarding individual arrangements and information available at each educational institution.
• Individual arrangements may include:
  • Extra time
  • Personal assistant
  • Accessible movement
  • Diabetes care equipment
  • Accessible versions of preparatory materials
  • Use of screen readers
  • Use of a smaller group space
• In addition to individual arrangements, accessibility can be increased in the following ways:
  • Consider and schedule time for familiarizing yourself with group situations where applicants have varying abilities. Think about how the presence of a person with mobility impairments, a visually impaired applicant, or a sign language user and their interpreter/assistant will affect movement in the space, direction of speech, placement of the instructor, and execution of group tasks.
  • Support group dynamics during group tasks so that no one is excluded, and everyone has the opportunity to participate in the task.
  • Review the timing of the entrance exams and provide sufficient breaks for applicants. Various functional limitations require more time and energy from the applicant, which can impact their performance.