Note-taker 3.0: an assistive technology enabling students who are legally blind to take notes in class

Abstract

While the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that universities provide visually disabled students with human note-takers, studies have shown that it is vital that students take their own notes during classroom lectures. Because students are cognitively engaged while taking notes, their retention is better, even if they never review their notes after class. However, students with visual disabilities are at a disadvantage compared to their sighted peers when taking notes - especially in fast-pace class presentations. They find it more difficult to rapidly switch back and forth between viewing the front of the room and viewing the notes they are taking. Currently available assistive technologies do not adequately address this need to rapidly switch back and forth. This paper presents the results of a 3-year study aimed at the development of an assistive technology that is specifically aimed at allowing students with visual disabilities to take handwritten and/or typed notes in the classroom, without relying on any classroom infrastructure, or any special accommodations by the lecturer or the institution.