National Blindness Professional Certification Board

NOMC Certification

Appealing Certification Decisions

Eligibility criteria for certification are established by the Board of Directors of the NBPCB with recommendation from the Certification Committee.

Unsuccessful candidates will receive a written denial of certification. A process of appeal upon written submission is available to any denied candidate who feels that the eligibility criteria have been inaccurately, inconsistently, or unfairly applied.

The process of appeal does NOT permit:

Additional time to acquire education, employment experience or supervision required for certification
Additional time to submit the documentation required for certification

Levels of Appeal

There are two levels of appeal in the event of denial of initial certification or recertification. The first is to the Certification Committee and the second is to the Board of Directors. This structure assures:

A review of the relevant facts
A second, independent evaluation of the materials presented
Fair and consistent application of eligibility criteria

First Level of Appeal
The appellant must send to the Certification Committee a written request for appeal, by certified mail postmarked within 30 days of official receipt of the letter of denial. The request for appeal must include in a single packet: a signed statement of the grounds for appeal and all relevant documentation in support thereof. Only documentation included with the first appeal request will be considered at either level of appeal.

The decision will be made by majority vote of the Certification Committee. All documentation will be reviewed and discussed by each member of the Certification Committee before an appeal is voted on. If the Certification Committee upholds denial of certification, the appellant has the right to petition for a second level of appeal.

The Second Level of Appeal
The appellant must send to the President of NPBCB a written request for a second level appeal, by certified mail postmarked within 30 days of receipt of the decision on first appeal. The request for a second level of appeal must set forth specific objections to the determinations made by the Certification Committee in rendering its decision in the first appeal. No additional documentation may be included.

The President will forward the appellant's written request and all documentation accompanying the request for the first level of appeal to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will review the appeal and have a majority vote. The decision of the Board of Directors will be final and can not be appealed further.