University at Buffalo 25 Capen Hall Buffalo, NY (716) A STUDENT(S) IN MY CLASS NEEDS A NOTETAKER: WHAT DO I DO?

Welcome! As an instructor, you may have received an accommodation memo from a student with this accommodation listed: “Peer or Instructor lecture notes” During this presentation, you will learn what that means and the process for you to use.

What are Peer or Instructor Lecture Notes? Students will receive class lecture notes through a volunteer notetaker. Notes will come from a classmate, T.A., or Professor. Students will receive class lecture notes through a volunteer notetaker. Notes will come from a classmate, T.A., or Professor. Peer notetakers are asked to take notes during lecture and submit them at a minimum of once a week to A.R. Peer notetakers are asked to take notes during lecture and submit them at a minimum of once a week to A.R. If a peer notetaker is unavailable, A.R. staff will contact the professor to see if they have notes available to share. If a peer notetaker is unavailable, A.R. staff will contact the professor to see if they have notes available to share.

Why are notes provided to students with disabilities? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws mandate equal access to education, employment and public services for qualified individuals with disabilities. In an educational setting, note taking service may be deemed a reasonable accommodation. Accommodations are provided to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities and provide equal access, not to give individuals with disabilities an unfair advantage.

Who uses notes? Students utilize notetaking accommodations for many reasons, including but not limited to: · Deafness or hard of hearing · Blindness or low vision · Learning disability · A mobility impairment · Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Confidentiality · In most cases, Notetakers should not know the identity of the student receiving the notes · In most cases, Notetakers should not know the identity of the student receiving the notes · Information about the identity of a student with a disability is private, sensitive and protected by law · It is very important for the instructor not to discuss this information with anyone except other course instructors, and/or Accessibility Resources (AR) staff

Notetaker Request Process When a student has a notetaking accomodation, there will be a form like this attached to the Memo. There are instructions on how to recruit a notetaker, including a short “script” to maintain confidentiality. Please make the announcement in class or through class as soon as possible. possible. When a student has a notetaking accomodation, there will be a form like this attached to the Memo. There are instructions on how to recruit a notetaker, including a short “script” to maintain confidentiality. Please make the announcement in class or through class as soon as possible. possible. Once the notetaker announcement request has been made and a class member volunteers, Once the notetaker announcement request has been made and a class member volunteers, please give them the bottom half of the yellow form and they will come to our office. please give them the bottom half of the yellow form and they will come to our office. If no volunteer is found, an A.R. staff member will contact you, the instructor, to see if you have shareable notes or a T.A. will volunteer.

Remember… A.R. won’t know if problems or issues arise unless you let us know. If you are having difficulty, please let us know as soon possible so that we can support the process. We are here to support you!

If you have any questions at all regarding notetaking, please contact Accessibility Resources at (716) Thank you! If you have any questions at all regarding notetaking, please contact Accessibility Resources at (716) Thank you!