Enhancing Institutional EDI Knowledge of Disability and Academic Accessibility:

Accessible Learning Services Best Practice Considerations - Note-Taking Supports

• Some students experience disability-related barriers around taking notes during class.
• In order to facilitate access to notes, some students registered with Accessible Learning may be utilizing notetaking support through a service called Note Taking Express, which is coordinated through Peer Assisted Learning Services. Students using this service are required to sign an agreement indicating they will only share the recording with Note Taking Express staff and acknowledging other conditions to keep accountability while utilizing this service. 
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing students may have a Computerized Notetaker (CNT) present in class to record lecture notes in order for the student to be able to focus and participate in the lecture. 
• While faculty are not legally mandated to post their lecture slides/summaries/video recordings on Blackboard/CourseLink for all students, students with disabilities, in particular, may require access to such materials as an accommodation especially in circumstances where a CNT is needed.
• A helpful way to encourage participation, some faculty assign all students into small “note-taking groups” where each week they arrange for one group to collectively take and share their notes on Blackboard/Courselink for the whole class. This supports students with disabilities and other students with diverse needs, which may impact taking notes during class in real-time. 

The National Deaf Center has an excellent resource guide for faculty supporting learners who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about note-taking supports for students.

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.