[nabs-l] Recording Lectures... Not allowed?

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Jamie and listers,

    Since Student Services told you you could record lectures have them 
supply you with a statement in writing to give to the professor. Another 
solution would be to find out if he himself records his lectures and offers 
them as podcasts. My understanding is that many colleges and universities 
now offer podcasts of class lectures and other important events for their 
students. This is an alternative to recording class lectures yourself. It's 
another way to avoid haggling with the professor and student services for 
that matter. JMO.

Peter Donahue


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jamie Principato" <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 12:14 AM
Subject: [nabs-l] Recording Lectures... Not allowed?


Hi there.

I know I spend more time reading this list than I do posting to it, but I
encountered a little issue in my Psychology class this morning, and I think
this is the place to find the best input.

I attend a small state college. Student services isn't great here (there are
other issues that only just got resolved, but not the point here) but they
get the job done. One accommodation we talked about when I first enrolled
was recording class lectures. I was told by Student Services that I would be
allowed to do this in any class that I needed to as long as doing so
wouldn't disrupt the class (which we determined it wouldn't as I am only
recording on my laptop as I type notes). One of the main reasons I do this
is because a lot of the time the professors have diagrams, drawings, visual
aids, or written information on the board that needs to be copied into
notes, and I rely on the descriptions given in the lecture to make sure I
have all the information I need. For me, this is more efficient than a note
taker because I get the information I need right away and don't have to wait
on Student Services and end up behind in the class.

Today however, my professor stopped me and asked me if that was a microphone
plugged into my laptop. I told him it was, and I politely asked if it was
okay for me to record the class. In retrospect this was bad self advocacy. I
should have told him just as politely that Student Services arranged for me
to record my lectures to make up for any visual information I would
otherwise miss. Anyway, in short he told me no, I could not record any part
of his class. He was rather intimidating about it, and I'm rather sensitive,
so again I made a self advocacy error and simply said okay and unplugged the
little mic. I want to confront him on this because I do feel as though I am
missing a lot by not recording, and I was already told that it was a
reasonable accommodation and that I could do it... I'm still a little
intimidated though and I don't want to confront him if I don't have a leg to
stand on.

Do I have a leg to stand on? Is there any legal backing for this? Can he do
this?

Please help,

Thank you,

-Jamie
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