ODS provides note-taking accommodations and assistance in a variety of ways. The student’s accommodation letter will specify the type of note-taking accommodation they are eligible to receive. Common examples include “exemption from technology ban” and “peer notetaker.”
What if I have class policies against recording or using laptops?
A student’s accommodation letter will specify approved technology for note-taking, such as laptops, tablets, smart pens, or Otter AI. Instructors must permit this technology to ensure equal access. Do not require students who use devices to sit in specific areas, as this can stigmatize them and restrict equal participation.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act stipulates that instructors and institutions “may not impose upon handicapped students other rules, such as the prohibition of tape recorders in classrooms…that have the effect of limiting the participation of handicapped students in the recipient’s education program or activity.”
Generally, the need for access via recording takes precedence over confidentiality concerns. Alabama's single-consent recording law allows recording in many contexts, with or without notice.
Faculty who choose to ban technology in the classroom are encouraged to add language to their syllabus:
“I prefer a technology-free classroom. If you have a compelling reason to use a device, please provide a written explanation. No request is needed for disability-related accommodations.”
How do I find a note taker for my course?
Students eligible for a peer notetaker will have Note-taking Services listed on their accommodation letter, along with a class announcement. You should identify a willing student or use this announcement to recruit:
“Greetings! You are receiving this email because a student in this course needs a note taker. The Office of Disability Services reimburses note takers with $300 per course in which they provide notes. If you are interested in being a note taker this semester, please contact me immediately and sign up as a notetaker in the ODS Online Portal.”
If you select a specific student, log in to the ODS Online Portal with their name and CWID, and instruct them to complete the notetaker application. This will allow ODS to match the notetaker with the course. Notetakers will upload notes through the ODS Online Portal for both you and the student to access.
How do I set up a note taker for my course?
1. Identify a notetaker of your choosing, or confirm with a matched notetaker that already exists in the ODS Online Portal.
2. If selecting a specific notetaker, instruct the notetaker to complete an application through the ODS Online Portal. This is not needed if the notetaker has previously completed this step.
3. Notetakers will use the ODS Online Portal to upload notes, and ODS students will be able to view the notes.
4. ODS will process payment for notetakers at the end of the semester.
I made an announcement in class and sent an email to students requesting a volunteer note taker, but no one has responded. What should I do now?
If there are problems locating a note taker, we have a few additional suggestions to get things moving:
- Continue to make an announcement in class and email the class; be sure to remind students that we pay notetakers $300.
- Seek out a student that strikes you as diligent in their note-taking, encourage them to volunteer, and remind them that there is a $300 reimbursement for the service. Communicate notetaker name and CWID to ODS Staff in the ODS Online Portal.
- Consider offering additional incentives, such as extra credit.
- If there is a TA or GTA for the course, ask them to serve as the notetaker for the course (please note: ODS in unable to monetarily reimburse GTAs). Communicate this information in the ODS Online Portal.
- If you are teaching multiple sections of the course and have a notetaker assigned in another section, contact ODS so we can match the notetaker from your other course section to the section in which you are having difficulty identifying a notetaker. The request can be made by making a note to ODS Staff in the ODS Online Portal.
- Use Panopto while you are attempting to identify a notetaker, and provide the student with any additional course notes you may have.
If, after repeated attempts, you have not identified a notetaker within 1 week of making the first announcement, contact ODS immediately at ods@ua.edu or (205) 348-4285.
Can the same student serve as a note taker for multiple students?
Yes. One student will serve as a note taker for every student in your course section who needs a note taker. ODS is not typically able to reimburse more than one notetaker per section, nor is this necessary. If a need arises for a second note taker, please contact ods@ua.edu or (205) 348-4285.
Can I pair an ODS student and a note taker directly with each other?
No. Contact between note takers and students receiving notes is unnecessary, as the ODS Online Portal ensures anonymity for both parties.
Can the notes that I provide to students replace the need for an in-class note taker?
Possibly. Please contact ODS and speak with an Accommodations Specialist to determine if this is a reasonable replacement.
My assigned notetaker will be absent from class. How do I ensure the accommodated student receives notes?
If the assigned peer notetaker for your class will be absent, you can provide the student with your own comprehensive notes for the class. Alternatively, you may designate another student in the class to be the notetaker for that date. While there is no financial benefit available to the temporary notetaker, instructors can offer an alternate incentive.