The provision of notetaking services is crucial for most deaf and hard of hearing students at the postsecondary level in classes designed for students with normal hearing. Numerous authors have attested to its importance (Saur, 1992; English, 1993; Osguthorpe, Wilson, Goldmann & Panara, 1980; Wilson, 1981, 1996). Collectively, more deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstreamed postsecondary settings use notetaking services than any other available support service (Lewis, Farris & Greene, 1994).

It has been said that having an interpreter guarantees equal access to the classroom, but having a notetaker guarantees equal access to the information from the class. Like tutors and the use of assistive listening devices in the classroom, each serves its own useful function; they are not redundant.

Until formal notetaking services began to be instituted in the late 1960's (Stuckless, 1969), deaf and severely hard of hearing students in college tended to do without notes, relying almost exclusively on the textbook for review, or in some instances after the introduction of portable audiotape recorders, recording the lecture and asking someone to transcribe it on paper. Sometimes the student would ask a hearing classmate if he/she might borrow the classmate's notes, but was often rebuffed. If the classmate chose to be accommodating, the deaf or hard of hearing student still had no assurance of the notes' quality or legibility.

Today, the ways in which notetaking services are provided from one postsecondary institution to another depend on several factors such as the number of students needing the services, the size and type of class, the individual student's ability to make use of the services, and program limitations. This report will discuss services that can be implemented over a range of institutions, from those serving only one or two deaf and/or hard of hearing students, to those with large numbers.

A deaf or hard of hearing student must get information by looking at a speaker or an interpreter and will probably find writing notes at the same time difficult. Yet some administrators considering establishing notetaking services continue to say, "But the student already has an interpreter. Why is a notetaker needed also?" or "Giving this much help is 'babying' the student. I can't go along with a notetaker, too." Questions and comments like these can be answered quickly with a reminder of how much deaf and hard of hearing students depend on their vision, making it difficult if not impossible to look at their instructor or interpreter and write adequate notes for themselves at the same time.

This report is intended to clarify (i) needs for notetaking services and (ii) ways of providing these services. Training, supervision, and the responsibilities of those involved in their provision will be discussed, along with suggested policies and procedures for assuring a useful and efficient service to students. For these, the authors drew considerable information from CSUN's Notetaker's handbook and NTID/RIT's Guide to Notetaking Services.

LISTENING AND THE PROCESS OF GOOD NOTETAKING

A good notetaker must be a good listener. Listening in turn requires active concentration. It is purposeful and self- monitoring. Many students who become notetakers are already skilled listeners, but listening skills can always be enhanced with practice. The following suggestions contribute to good listening, hence to good notetaking.

Be interested. A good listener tries to find something interesting and useful in what he/she hears, and waits until he/she has heard an entire presentation before judging it.

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¹ In the order listed above, the authors are associated with Tulsa Community College (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Tulsa Community College, St. Paul Technical College (St. Paul, Minnesota), Tulsa Community College, California State University at Northridge (Northridge, California), and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (Rochester, New York).