The WIDA Consortium encourages the participation of all English language learners in the ACCESS for ELLs^® testing program and feels that it is an appropriate assessment for all but the most severely disabled. The ACCESS for ELLs^® has "built in" certain standard features of the test that might lessen the need for accommodations. For example, ACCESS for ELLs^® is not a timed test. Students may take longer than the average time noted in each section's test manual. The thematic orientation of the test and the heavy reliance on graphic support are features that should lend themselves to enhanced comprehension, not only for ELLs in general, but for many students with special needs. However, certain testing accommodations may be appropriate for some students.

Testing accommodations are changes in the way a student is given a test or asked to respond to test questions. They are meant to offset the challenges caused by a disability without changing what the test measures. Testing accommodations strive to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to demonstrate their English language proficiency. To maximize fairness while maintaining the integrity of the ACCESS for ELLs^® test, WIDA provides the following guidelines for appropriate accommodations for English Language Learners with disabilities.

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