Guidance

Access Consultation Forum terms of reference

Updated 7 October 2025

1. Purpose

A meeting where representatives with a relevant interest discuss the accessibility of regulated qualifications and assessments. The forum shares information and promotes good practice.

Ofqual organises the ACF. Other UK qualifications  regulators attend the forum (Qualifications Wales (QW) for Wales, Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for Northern Ireland, and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) for Scotland). The regulators and other attendees (including representative groups and awarding organisations) can use the forum discussions to inform their work.

2. Scope

The main focus of the group is the accessibility of regulated qualifications and assessments for disabled learners, including the use of reasonable adjustments. The forum will consider issues affecting learners who share other characteristics if appropriate. Ofqual would not expect this forum to discuss or share specific cases about individual learners.

 3. Aims

The ACF aims to:

• promote understanding of the issues faced by disabled learners when taking regulated qualifications and assessments
• present research and share expertise
• provide an opportunity for attendees to raise questions about current practice
• be a platform for regulators to share planned work relating to the accessibility of regulated qualifications or assessments, invite feedback and expertise from attendees, and explore solutions
• encourage all attendees to share, and consider, good practice
• raise awareness and understanding of the importance of accessibility to qualification and assessment validity

4. Meetings

Ofqual will organise and chair ACF meetings at least twice a year, usually in spring and autumn. Ofqual will circulate an agenda at least 2 weeks before the meeting.

Ofqual may arrange additional meetings t o discuss particular areas of work, in addition to the biannual meetings. Ofqual may invite other organisations to join those meetings as appropriate.

 5. Attendance

Attendance at the forum is by invitation only. You  can register your or your organisation’s interest in attending by emailing acf@ofqual.gov.uk

Ofqual will consider requests for attendance from those who:

• represent the interests of disabled learners and the professionals who work with and support them
• represent the interests of organisations recognised  by a UK qualifications regulator to offer regulated qualifications
• because of their expertise, can contribute to the purpose and/or aims of the group or inform a particular agenda item

Ofqual will invite attendees to suggest agenda items and will accommodate suggestions where possible. Ofqual expects attendees to present their work to support the learning of the group, to share their expertise and to consider and respect all views expressed by other attendees.

Slides and papers presented at an ACF meeting will be shared with attendees and may be shared with all regulated awarding organisations, unless Ofqual is asked to treat them confidentially. Attendees should not publish content shared with the ACF without discussion with Ofqual. Ofqual will provide attendees with a brief note of the meeting, including agreed actions.

Ofqual may contact attendees outside of meetings to follow up on contributions or to share additional relevant information.

6. Attendees

• The UK qualifications regulators, Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual),Qualifications Wales (QW) for Wales, Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for Northern Ireland, and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) for Scotland
• The Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish governments may attend directly or provide input via the relevant qualifications regulator
• The Department for Education (DfE)
• Standards & Testing Agency (STA)
• Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
• Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB)
• The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) may also attend

Awarding organisations

• Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
• Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)
• City & Guilds
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
• NCFE
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
• Pearson
• Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC)

Other organisations   

• Ace Centre
• Autism Education Trust (AET)
• British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD)
• British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
• Birmingham University
• Communication and Assistive Technology for Learners in Scotland (CALL Scotland)
• Communicate-ed
• Connect Solutions Group
• Centre for Research in Autism and Education at UCL (CRAE)
• Edge Hill University
• Guild HE
• Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)
• National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen)
• National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
• Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (Patoss)
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
• The Bell Foundation
• The Exams Office
• The Holmewood School
• Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT)
• UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF)
• Visual Impairment Educational Workforce (VIEW)
• Welsh Association of Vision Impairment Educators (WAVIE)

Ofqual will invite additional organisations or individual attendees as necessary according to the agenda.

7. Further information

Ofqual will publish these terms of reference   on its website, and on the Ofqual Portal for regulated awarding organisations.

8. Data Protection

Ofqual will retain attendees’ personal data as follows: name, job title, organisation name, and email address. Email addresses will be shared among the group members to meet the purposes of this forum.  

To understand how Ofqual handles personal data and your rights please see our personal information charter.

If an attendee no longer wishes to attend this group, they can withdraw by contacting acf@ofqual.gov.uk.

9. Review date

These terms of reference will be reviewed at least every 2 years. The last review was conducted in September 2025. ACF members are not required to agree to changes or updates to the terms of reference , but they will be circulated for information.