Shanghai Daily news

The national English exam's office rejected three blind students' request to sit the mandatory test for English majors yesterday. It claimed that creating Braille exams adds to the risk of test questions being leaked.
The office of the Test of English Majors (TEM) said its panel would discuss the issue next year.
The blind students at the Shanghai Teachers University's foreign language school were the city's first such students admitted by a university. Each passed special entrance exams in 2002.
Although the blind students take the same courses as their peers, the English majors were told they were unable to sit the required English test due to the absence of Braille exams. The university ruled English majors who failed to acquire a TEM certificate are not eligible for a bachelor's degree. That upset the students.
"We want to be treated just like our other classmates," said Ren Zhenghao, one of the blind students. "We should be given a chance to take the exam."
Several professors helped the three students hand in a request to sit this year's TEM exam - which is scheduled on April 20.
Wen songsheng, the office director, said they realize blind students should be treated equally, but a series of feasibility problems emerged.
"To prepare a readable exam paper for the blind, we must have someone translate it into Braille," Wen said. "Any early exposure of the test could ruin the national exam's confidentiality, especially the written question section."
In previous years, scandals emerged as exam questions were leaked prior to the College English Test - a requirement for all university students except English majors.
According to Zhang Haiyan, deputy dean at STU's foreign language college, the university would consider making an exception for the three students by lifting the TEM requirement.