Thread by @harsh6363

Since it's been really bothering me, I think it's better I write about it.

Yesterday I went to assist one visually impaired candidate, as his scribe. This is the first time I was doing so and I didn't know how the process worked.
I didn't anticipate I was in for a shocker.
1/n

This was for SBI clerk prelim exam, which was scheduled for 4:30-6 PM on Powai.
People with disability and without disability were taking the exam together at the same centre. 2/n

As the candidate I was assisting arrived, we entered the centre. First shock was here, when I realised apart from having just a separate entrance, there was nothing done to assist these folks.
What I mean is, no was ensuring that a proper queue is maintained. 3/n

No one was telling scribe, who were there for the first time as to what they need to do or make sure. The staff sitting at enrollment letter checking counter was borderline rude. 4/n

After getting scribe form and attaching his and mine documents, we were told to go to examination hall. Before any person could proceed to examination hall, they were to supposed to keep bags in shelves which were kept in an area which seemed like parking area of the building 5/n

Since a person cannot take mobile to hall, all were supposed to keep them in their bags and keep those bags in those shelves. Another shocker here, there was no lock facility here and the way crowd was just all over the place, no wonder if anything gets stolen from here. 6/n

Imagine going for an exam, you are already stressed, then no arrangements for people with disability, and then having to leave all your stuff just like that, out on open with no to be accountable if anything gets stolen. 7/n

After this, I took this candidate to his respective examination hall. If not more, this hall was meant for minimum of 60 candidates plus their scribes. With scribes, that makes 120 people in one hall. A training hall where each desk has one system and seating for one ONLY. 8/n

But in such a facility, almost 120 of us were seated, shoulder to shoulder.
As I didn't know what the process is how I am to help this person, I was waiting and thinking may be they'll tell something, some basic guidelines and guidance, but no. 9/n

Absolutely no help from the staff assisting there or the invigilators. What they were focused on was to just get the goddam signature/thumb impression and that's it.10/n

Coming to the exam. The exam was entirely on computer.
So, how it works is, the questions will be served, the scribe has to read the question and the options and candidate has to tell the scribe, what answer option they wish to mark.11/n

For people with disability, the ONLY extra bit was they'd get 20 MINUTES EXTRA to attempt the paper, the paper which is same for people with disability and without disability. 12/n

To put things in perspective, imagine sitting for an exam, where the difficulty level of exam is same for all, but a person without disability is reading and processing the questions and options all by their own self and also, they can write themselves use rough sheet. 13/n

Now, considering a person with disability, for whom the scribe has to read the question, explain the options, this candidate, has to process this information, in case of VI, they cannot write because well, obviously. 14/n

To add to that, 60 scribes are reading questions and options to their respective candidates in a room, where all are sitting shoulder to shoulder. How is anyone supposed to take the exam like that, HOW. 15/n.

Coming to the exam paper.
The questions were same for people with disability and people without one. To put things in perspective, a person with disability has to attempt same questions the only difference being the person gets 20 mins extra.16/n

So basically imagine, you are assisting a visually impaired (VI) person, for whom, you'd read out the questions and options, that person has to retain that information and then tell the scribe what option to choose. 17/n

Now imagine, a logical reasoning questions, arrangement type question, where there are 7 things to be arranged, there are a few rules in question, this goes here and that goes there and all of it, and having to retain all that information without writing. 18/n

And then, figuring out the entire arrangement and telling your scribe which option to choose.
There were 10+ questions based on this format on Logical Reasoning section.
19/n

Coming to english section, questions were like arrangement of sentences to form a paragraph. FIB, identify wrong usage of word of spelling.
I could see how the candidate I was with struggling to process this. Like you have to retain all the information and answer 20/n

And similarly, math section.

Coming to issues.
1. Why no proper arrangements for helping people with disability. If authorities don't even care then why even make arrangement.
2. Why no proper arrangements to keep stuff?
3. Why can't staff be a bit more considerate?
21/n

4. Why can't the examination hall be such that it makes things comfortable and less stressful for these candidates.
5. How just giving extra 20 minutes makes a difference in these candidate's life when the entire exam 's format is not conducive. 22/n

6. How does scribe make sure that his ethics are not coming in between while answering the questions? As in, I could solve questions but should mark correct answer or what the candidate is telling me to mark? 23/n

Given my experience, the entire system is not designed to enable people with disability rather to disable them even further.
Really heartbreaking and troubling.
Have so much more to say, but closing it here.
Cc: @shyamyuwa @appadappajappa

@ummehaani13