Case Study: Accessible Testing Center Design & Implementation for a PNW University
Executive Overview
Led a major initiative for a Pacific Northwest University to achieve legal compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by redesigning the accommodated student testing environment. The project moved beyond simple compliance to create a state-of-the-art, high-efficiency facility and operational model. The solution involved a combination of human factors design (calming aesthetics), process innovation (digital sign-in/out, video camera), and physical construction, ultimately expanding equity and resource sustainability to serve the entire student body, not just those with documented disabilities.
Challenge
The initial challenge was a significant operational and legal exposure point:
Non-Compliance: An efficacy study revealed that the university's current accommodated testing space was not in legal compliance with federal mandates, as the facility lacked the physical capacity to simultaneously serve the existing student population requiring testing accommodations.
Capacity Gap: The existing resources were inadequate, as the facility could not properly accommodate even 50% of the student population requiring testing accommodations if they scheduled at peak times.
Inefficient Process: The testing environment lacked modern controls, creating an inefficient and stressful experience for students and exposing the university to integrity risks associated with monitoring non-standard testing times.
Approach
The approach combined rigorous research with practical implementation, leading to an innovative physical and procedural redesign.
Compliance Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis: The consultant first validated the compliance risk and then conducted a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to justify the required capital investment for a new center.
Best Practice Research: A multi-state research effort was executed, including on-site visits and evaluation of best practices at six different colleges and universities in Oregon and California to inform the optimal design and functionality.
Innovative Redesign Proposal: The final proposal detailed the conversion of an underutilized conference room into a specialized testing center, incorporating specific, cost-effective design elements:
Physical Security: Installation of testing cubicles with high privacy dividers to eliminate the possibility of visual cheating.
Digital Integrity: Implementation of a live-stream camera system for active monitoring and an automated employee-style test time punch system (sign in/sign out) to digitally record and verify the exact duration of each exam.
Human Factors Design: The implementation included a sage green paint job within the testing room to create a calming, studious environment, based on research into human psychology and concentration.
Impact
The project delivered immediate legal compliance while creating a scalable, high-efficiency resource that benefited the entire university:
Legal Compliance Achieved: The new center instantly resolved the ADA non-compliance issues by providing adequate physical and supervised space for all students requiring accommodations.
Operational Efficiency: The combination of the secure cubicles and the automatic time punch system created a streamlined, efficient testing environment, reducing the administrative burden of monitoring testing integrity.
Expanded Equity and Sustainability: The success and efficiency of the new model led to executive approval for expanding the service to include students without documented disabilities who simply required a quiet environment with extended time (with professor approval). This action positioned the new center as a campus-wide resource, demonstrating a significant expansion of equity and maximizing the return on the university's capital investment.