Amateur Radio for People with Disabilities

Amateur radio is open to everyone, regardless of physical ability, hearing or vision. It provides a means to communicate with others, develop technical skills, and participate in a worldwide network of operators.

PARC supports HandiHam, a long-established organization that helps people with disabilities take part in and succeed in amateur radio. This includes people who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing, or physically impaired, and people with other conditions that make learning or operating a radio more difficult.

HandiHam.org

Getting Started

Amateur radio is more accessible than ever. Voice modes, digital modes and Morse code offer options for every operator. Many tools and radios are compatible with, or can be adapted to, assistive technologies such as screen readers, speech-to-text software and adaptive keyboards.

Full use of the hands, hearing or eyesight is not required to operate a radio. Radios can be operated with foot pedals, speech recognition, braille displays and sip-and-puff devices, and operators who do not speak can communicate using keyboards and text-based modes.

Studying for the Exam

PARC can refer candidates with disabilities to study resources, including:

• Audio and braille study guides
• Online courses compatible with screen readers
• Video content with captions and sign language
• One-to-one support from mentors and volunteers

Taking the Exam

Candidates who require assistance or accommodations must submit a request before booking. PARC works with the Volunteer Examiner team to provide the support required.

Verbal Examinations

• Online: an examiner may read each question aloud, up to two times. This must be requested in advance, with the reason for the request. Additional time is allowed when the questions are read to the candidate.
• In person: an examiner may read the entire examination aloud. Up to one hour is allowed.

Assistance from Others

Another person may help with setup and may hold the phone for the room scan. That person must leave the room before the examination begins. Only examiners may be present during the examination. The sole exception is a parent, who may observe from a distance when the candidate is under age 13.

Calculators

• Online: only the calculator built into ExamTools is permitted. A candidate who cannot use it may ask an examiner to perform the calculation: the candidate states the calculation, such as the sine of 60 degrees, and the examiner enters it and reads back the result. Request this before booking.
• In person: candidates may bring a basic calculator with no memory or programmable functions. Calculations are done on the back of the answer sheet.

Examination Results

Candidates are told the number of questions missed. The specific questions missed are not disclosed.

Tasks Involved in an Online Examination

• Reading the questions on a computer screen, and selecting answers with the laptop keyboard and trackpad, or with a wired keyboard and mouse. Adaptive keyboards and switches may be used with a desktop computer.
• Following spoken instructions from the examiners over Zoom.
• Showing identification to the camera, and scanning the room with the phone camera.
• Remaining in view of both cameras for the entire examination.

Accommodations for these tasks include captions and typed instructions, screen magnification on a case-by-case basis, adaptive keyboards and switches, and a helper for the room scan. A candidate for whom any of these tasks is difficult should request an accommodation before booking, or choose an in-person session.

Online Examination Requirements

• An unexpired physical photo ID, as listed under Acceptable Identification.
• An FCC Registration Number (FRN), obtained before booking.
• A quiet, private room, not a vehicle or an outdoor location, with a clear desk and no distracting items in view.
• Sharing the full screen and scanning the room over Zoom. Candidates who do not consent to this should choose an in-person examination.

Acceptable Identification In-Person Sessions

Accessibility of This Website

This website is designed to be used with a keyboard alone, with screen reader software, and with the browser zoomed to 400 percent. Links that open a new tab are marked with an arrow and are announced by screen readers.

• The online examination instructions are also available on a single page, which is convenient for screen readers and for printing.
• The Pre-Exam Checklist is a tagged PDF, which screen readers can read.

To report a page that is difficult to use, email a description of the page and the difficulty, with the subject “Website accessibility.”

Instructions on One Page Pre-Exam Checklist (PDF) Report an Accessibility Problem

Contact

For information or assistance, email vetesting@yahoo.com. PARC will refer the request to a volunteer familiar with the candidate’s needs. PARC examiners are unpaid volunteers; allow up to 24 hours for a reply. Assistance is also available through the PARC Facebook group.

PARC Facebook Group