“The exam system should adapt so that disabled students have a fair chance to show what they know,” said Romi Loffler

NEED TO KNOW

• Romi Loffler has Rett Syndrome and communicates by blinking one letter at a time
• She completed Nat 4 coursework but was denied the proposed adjustments for her Nat 5 exam in Scotland
• Her family says the changes would let her demonstrate her knowledge without creating an unfair advantage

A college student in Scotland is voicing her frustration after being denied the opportunity to take an exam with adjustments for her disability. 

In a BBC article published on Oct. 12, Romi Loffler opened up about the challenges of having Rett Syndrome, a genetic neurological disorder that comes with a variety of health problems including being unable to speak or move and epilepsy. She takes around half an hour to write a sentence, spelling it out one letter at a time by blinking.

Loffler, 21, from Netherlee in East Renfrewshire, completed the necessary coursework to gain a National 4 (Nat 4) qualification last year, per BBC. She hoped to continue her education with Nat 5, but the exam body, Qualifications Scotland (QS), reportedly rejected the adjustments that she would need to sit the exam.

“Angry,” Loffler wrote, describing her feelings to BBC Scotland News. “Other students got the chance to get their National 5 and I didn’t. That was unfair. I deserved the same chance as everyone else.”

QS’s Nat 5 has been described as being at a similar level to grades 9 and 10 in the U.S.

“They shouldn’t expect us to fit around their exam system,” Loffler continued to the BBC. The exam system should adapt so that disabled students have a fair chance to show what they know.”

“People sometimes underestimate what I can do because I am disabled,” she added. “A recognized qualification gives me evidence of what I can do.”

According to BBC, Loffler’s college and her parents began discussions with QS around 18 months before the exam was scheduled to take place.

They suggested that she could sit it one question at a time over a period of weeks or potentially months. Her parents also requested that she have a “bank” of pre-agreed relevant words to keep her from having to spell out every letter.

Romi’s mom, Gael, said QS is concerned that adjustments for Romi would give her an unfair advantage over other students. She has shut down the exam board’s suggestion that she should sit the exam all in one go, claiming that it’s exhausting for Romi to communicate with her eyes, per the BBC. 

“I think she is starting from a position of such incredible disadvantage that just getting her to the starting line is incredibly difficult,” Gael told the outlet. “She is not wanting to be given it and given a pat on the head. She wants to sit the exam in a way she can demonstrate everything she knows.”

“It is about proving her capacity and proving her worth and showing what she can do because if she gets that certificate no-one can take that away from her,” she added.

Claire Donaghey, assistant principal of arts and continuing education at Glasgow Clyde College, said in a statement to PEOPLE that Romi is “highly capable and committed.”

“We remain fully committed to supporting Romi and will continue to work constructively with her, her family and Qualifications Scotland to explore every available option and achieve the best possible outcome for her,” Donaghey added. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The dispute over Romi’s exam adjustments comes after two children used eye gaze technology to sit GCSE exams in England earlier this year. Among them is a child who has cerebral palsy and spent five months completing the exam.

A QS spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE: “We recognize this is difficult for Romi and her family and respect her determination to achieve qualifications. Discussions with Romi and her college remain ongoing and we’re keen to explore how Romi can access assessments to demonstrate her brilliant learning, skills and knowledge.”

“Just as learners have individual needs, so do qualification assessments. Assistive technologies such as eye gaze technology are better suited to some assessments than others, and as part of our research and in our work towards qualifications reform, we are looking at how we can make our assessments more accessible,” the statement continued.

“Qualifications Scotland is committed to making reasonable adjustments so that disabled learners have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding,” added the QS spokesperson. “We also have a duty to maintain the integrity of qualifications for everyone, so [we] must always ensure that any reasonable adjustments put in place for learners do not impact standards.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Glasgow Clyde College for further comment.

#Student #Spells #Blinking #Denied #Opportunity #Exam #Adjustments #Genetic #Neurological #Disorder