Are students with disabilities allowed to tape classes as an accommodation?
According to the US Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, the tape-recording of classroom sessions as an accommodation for students with disabilities is required under Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The legal reference, found in the Code of Federal Regulations 34CFR104.44 (b) for Section 504 reads as follows: Sec. 104.44 Academic Adjustments (b) Other rules. A recipient to which this subpart applies may not impose upon handicapped students other rules, such as the prohibition of tape recorders in classrooms or of guide dogs in campus buildings, that have the effect of limiting the participation of handicapped students in the recipient’s education program or activity. While students with disabilities who need it as an accommodation must be allowed to tape classes, they may be required to sign an agreement which indicates that the tapes will not be sold or used for any other purpose than their own education needs. Som
