New Article on Testing Accommodations

New on Westlaw: John D. Ranseen et al., Test Accommodations for Postsecondary Students: The Quandary Resulting From the ADA's Disability Definition, 11 Psychol. Pub. Pol'y & L. 83 (2005). The abstract:

Legal wrangling precipitated by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) has resulted in courts adopting a narrow view of disability. This narrow categorical disability definition is in conflict with current mental health and educational practice that presumes an inclusive view of disability. Test accommodations for licensing exams based on learning impairments provide an example of the conflict generated by legal versus mental health views of disability. Mental health practitioners often support test accommodation requests for students who do not meet the ADA's strict threshold for disability determination. Mental health practitioners must understand the ADA definition of disability, and test organizations need to examine goals and alter standard practice in a manner that is fair and equitable independent of learning impairments.