The National Registry complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in regard to requests for examination accommodations consistent with its mission and public protection.

Please click here for a checklist on how to apply for accommodations. This information is also available here.

ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY OVERVIEW 

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians administers its certification examinations in a manner that does not discriminate against an otherwise qualified applicant. The National Registry offers reasonable and appropriate accommodations for the written and practical components of the registration examination for those persons with documented disabilities, as required by the ADA.  

The National Registry urges candidates requesting any accommodation to submit such requests as early as possible to provide adequate time to resolve any documentation issues that may arise. At a minimum, all requests for accommodations must be received by the National Registry no less than thirty (30) days before scheduling the examination. 
 
The National Registry will review each request on an individual basis and make decisions relative to appropriate accommodations based on the following general guidelines: 

  1. To be considered for an accommodation under the ADA, an individual must present adequate documentation demonstrating that their condition substantially limits one or more major life activities. 
  2. Only individuals with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodations, meet the eligibility requirements for certification at the level of the requested examination are eligible for accommodations. 
  3. Requested accommodations must be reasonable and appropriate for the documented disability and must not fundamentally alter the examination’s ability to assess the essential functions of pre-hospital care, which the test is designed to measure. 
  4. Professionals conducting assessments, rendering diagnoses of specific disabilities and/or making recommendations for appropriate accommodations must be qualified to do so. 
  5. The National Registry realizes that each candidate’s circumstances are unique and a case-by-case approach to review the documentation is required. 
  6. All documentation submitted in support of a requested accommodation will be kept in confidence and will be disclosed to National Registry staff and consultants only to the extent necessary to evaluate the accommodation. No information concerning an accommodation request will be released to third parties without written permission from the candidate.

EMS EDUCATION AND THE ADA 

The National Registry does not set policy for educational institutions regarding appropriate accommodations in the classroom. EMS educators should seek guidance from the disabilities support services connected with their educational institution. Independent education courses that are not sponsored by institutions with disability support should contact their State EMS Office for advice. Accommodations granted by a candidate’s educational institution does not guarantee accommodations approval for National Registry examinations. 

HOW TO REQUEST AN ACCOMMODATION 

If you are requesting accommodations for any level of the National Registry examination, you must complete the following steps:

____ 1. Review the National Registry’s policy on accommodations (see above).

____ 2. If you do not already have a National Registry account with a username and password, create a New Account on the National Registry homepage. If you forgot your username or password, use the Password Recovery Page for assistance.

____ 3. Complete an application to take the examination. Do not pay the fee to take the test until you have received your Accommodations Letter.

____ 4. Review the following documents: ____ 5. Email the following documents to accommodations@nremt.org at least 30 days prior to scheduling a test: 
  1. Your completed and signed Accommodations Questionnaire; and 
  2. Your supporting documentation. Examples of documentation to support your accommodations request include*: 
    • A letter from an appropriately credentialed professional, such as an educational psychologist, with (1) the diagnosis of your disability, including the DSM/ICD code or IDEA eligibility statement (2) specific disability symptoms, and (3) recommendations for accommodations 
    • This information should be written on professional letterhead, dated, and signed by the credentialed professional who made the diagnosis 
    • A psychological evaluation, signed comprehensive assessment report, and accompanying standard scores 
    • Evidence of previously approved accommodations from schools and other organizations 
    • A personal statement written by you describing your disability and its impact on your daily life and educational functioning 
* Candidates requesting accommodations should share this information with relevant parties, including healthcare specialists who made their disability diagnoses as well as organizations that provided them with prior accommodations, in order to help candidates gather and submit appropriate documentation to support their accommodations requests. Also note that some accommodations requests may require additional documentation. 

____ 6. The National Registry will send you an email to confirm receipt of your request and follow up if additional documentation is needed.  

____ 7. Following review, the Registry will email you an Accommodations Letter indicating whether your request has been granted and explaining next steps, including how to schedule your exam with granted accommodations. 
 
____ 8. Please do not schedule your examination until you have received this letter. If you do, you will not receive your accommodations and will need to reschedule. 

Please note: The National Registry administers examinations in English only. The National Registry provides accommodations for English language learners or individuals with limited English proficiency if they have documented disabilities, as required by the ADA.