Note Taking

Federal law and UW System policy identifies "assistance taking notes" as an appropriate accommodation for some students with disabilities. As with other reasonable modifications and accommodations, individuals seeking accommodations are expected to demonstrate initiative in obtaining and arranging assistance.

Students may ask for assistance in taking notes in a course for a variety of reasons. In some instances a student may have a vision, hearing, or physical limitation that affects his/her ability to keep pace with the instructor as context material is presented during a class period. In other cases the student may have a learning disability that limits his/her ability to process auditory information and write appropriate notes simultaneously. In these situations, the student's disability makes it difficult, if not impossible, to take accurate, comprehensive notes in class. With the assistance of a note taker, the student can concentrate on the context of the information being presented in class and not be distracted by the mechanics of getting notes down on paper.

Procedures for Obtaining Note Taking Assistance

In order to receive note taking assistance the student must first:

1. Provide the Services for Students with Disabilities Office with appropriate documentation that supports the request.
   
   
2. Meet with Kathleen Hurley, Director, to discuss and agree upon what accommodations are appropriate. A "Verification of Individual Services and Accommodations (VISA)" form will be completed at that time. This form is kept by the student and is required for each accommodation being requested.

Once these steps are completed, the student must take the completed "VISA" form to each instructor, discuss the request with him/her, and decide how the note taking assistance is to be provided.

If you have any questions concerning this process, contact Kathleen Hurley (836-4542), hurleyks@uwec.edu.