Braille-based exams to be offered

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) is set to offer a Braille-based and computer-based test for visually impaired individuals within the first semester this year following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Resources for the Blind Inc. (RBI).

The CSC-RBI partnership aims to secure the latter’s technical cooperation in translating the career service examination (CSE) to Braille and in setting up computers that can interface with computer-literate but visually-impaired examinees.

In the MOA, RBI shall also assess the readiness of visually-impaired examination applicants to take either the computer-based or the Braille-based mode.

CSC chair Francisco Duque III said “the CSC has never exempted persons with disabilities (PWDs), including the visually impaired, from taking the examination and from entering government service. In fact, we want to make it easier for them so that more PWDs would consider public service as a career.”

Presently, the CSE is administered to visually impaired individuals guided by two examiners per examinee. The first examiner reads the test item to the examinee, who listens and dictates his or her answer, while the second examiner shades the corresponding answer choice in the answer sheet, he added.

“While this has helped visually impaired examinees in the previous years, there is a need to improve the process to avoid cheating and make it less cumbersome,” Duque said.

CSC is also working on programs and services for 2012 to more effectively and efficiently address the needs of clients, including the pilot run of the contact center ng bayan.

Duque said it is a government-run call center that will interconnect the help-liness of various agencies and provide the public a single number to call to obtain information and assistance on government programs and services, to report irregularities or to give feedback. (CGC)