Accesstech Urges JAMB Registrar to Reintroduce Computer-based Testing for Blind Candidates

The Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Accesstech Innovation and Research Centre GTE Ltd., Mr Opeolu Stephen Akinola, has congratulated Professor Segun Aina on his appointment as the new Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

In a statement issued in Lagos, Akinola expressed optimism about the appointment, noting that Professor Aina belongs to a generation that recognises Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for inclusive development.

He also pointed out that ICT is Professor Aina’s area of specialisation, describing this as an advantage in advancing technology-driven and inclusive examination systems.

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Akinola, who has more than 25 years of experience deploying ICT and assistive technology infrastructure to improve educational and employment opportunities for visually impaired persons, commended Professor Aina’s five-year strategy aimed at reducing stress for candidates.

According to him, computer-based testing (CBT) can provide blind candidates with the same convenience available to sighted candidates when taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which is conducted annually by JAMB.

As one of Nigeria’s pioneer computer trainers for blind persons, Akinola also highlighted the increase in computer literacy among blind students, which he said contributed to a 71 per cent pass rate recorded in the 2015 and 2016 UTME examinations.

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“I implore the new Registrar to resuscitate CBT for blind candidates as a priority part of his five-year strategy, and I am willing to assist the examination body in providing the equipment and skills to achieve success in this,” Akinola said.

Akinola, who obtained the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification in 2022 and holds a master’s degree in Disability Studies from the University of Leeds, UK, further identified technologies that could improve accessibility for candidates with visual impairments.

He listed screen readers, magnification software and refreshable Braille devices among the assistive technologies that could help make JAMB examinations more accessible to blind candidates and people with low vision.

He urged the new JAMB Registrar to prioritise accessible CBT as part of the board’s plans, stressing that the appropriate use of assistive technologies could help provide visually impaired candidates with a more equitable examination experience.

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