ODA Registration Process and Accommodations

How do students register with your office?

Students can visit the following page for information on how to register with our office: 

/office-disability-access/students/register-for-services

Where can I find your office?

We are located in Sage Hall, suite 167.

What do I do when I receive an official letter from the ODA?

Read the LOA carefully. It is a formal notice, signifying that the student has furnished the university with documentation of a disability, which he or she feels will impact the learning situation. If questions remain about how to provide the accommodations listed in the letter, please contact the student's coordinator in the Office of Disability Access to request more details. 

If you feel that a specific accommodation would interfere with the essential elements of your course and/or course objectives, please contact the ODA immediately.

Letter of Accommodation (LOA) Best Practices

Although students tasked with contacting the instructor, it is okay for instructors to reach out to the student first.  When instructors receive the LOA, the ODA recommends sending an introductory email to initiate discussions (whether in person or via email) to clarify any questions about the accommodations listed in the LOA.

Dear Student,

Welcome to my class!  I just received your accommodation letter from the ODA.  I do have some questions about your accommodations. My office hours are in my syllabus if you would like to schedule a time to talk with me further about your accommodations and my course.  

Thank you in advance. 

INSTRUCTOR NAME

What statement should I include in my class syllabus/program announcement/flyer to inform students of the process to request reasonable accommodations?

See ADA Taglines for UNT Publications and Syllabus Statements.

Notetaking FAQ - Faculty

Can the same student serve as a notetaker for multiple students?

In most cases, one student will serve as a notetaker for every student in your section that needs a notetaker.  If you teach multiple sections of the same course, then we can apply the same notetaker to each individual section, so long as the course material and notes covered are identical for each section that you teach.  To have the same student serve as a notetaker across sections with different section numbers, please email: Notes.ODA@unt.edu

How do I find a notetaker for my course?

  1. When a request is made, we will email you to gather information to determine if notes may not be required. If notes are required, our office will start working on identifying a peer note-taker in your class through reaching out to past note-takers and/or reaching out to your class roster directly. If we are not able to identify a note-taker, you will receive an email with guidance on how we can partner to find a notetaker. Options include making a verbal announcement in class, posting an announcement on Canvas, and/or sending an email to the class. Please make sure to keep the student with the disability's name confidential. If you have a specific student in mind that you would like to serve as a notetaker, please email Notes.ODA@unt.edu> at your earliest convenience. We may need to follow up with you if a note-taker is not secured.  
  2. If you do not have a student in mind, you may use the email template below to recruit a notetaker:

Greetings!

You are receiving this email because a student in your course is in need of a notetaker.  The Office of Disability Access now uses a fully-online notetaking registration system. If you are interested in being a notetaker this spring semester, please follow the instructions below.

Important: Filling out this information does not mean that you have been assigned as a notetaker. You will be informed via UNT Email if the ODA has matched you with a notetaking assignment. Please check your UNT email inbox regularly. At the conclusion of the semester, we will send you a letter thanking you for your volunteer efforts and listing the amount of hours you took notes.

Instructions: The first step in becoming a notetaker is to register online through ODA Online Notetaker Portal. Please visit this link for further instructions: /office-disability-access/becoming-a-volunteer-notetaker

Can I pair a student and notetaker directly with each other?

If you have a specific student in mind to serve as the notetaker, please provide us with the student's name and encourage the potential notetaker to review the FAQ and fill out the online form (instructions here).  Please do not provide student contact information directly, as this discloses that a student is registered within the ODA. 

Is a student eligible to receive notes if they miss class?

  1. Yes, if the student also receives the accommodation of Modification of Course Attendance Guidance (pdf)
  2. No, if the student is missing class without having other approved accommodations to support the absences. Please contact Notes.ODA@unt.edu with the student's name, course information, and the days the student has missed class. The ODA will restrict the student's access to the missed day's uploaded notes.

Please contact our Note-taking Coordinators at Notes.ODA@unt.edu with any further questions or concerns.