Meeting transcripts as a workplace accommodation or adjustment

In the United States and Great Britain, employees can ask their employer for changes that remove a disadvantage linked to a disability, and transcripts, captions or written notes of meetings can be one of those changes. In the US this is called a reasonable accommodation, under the Americans with Disabilities Act; in Britain, a reasonable adjustment, under the Equality Act 2010. A request can be informal. The employer can generally choose among options that work. And whatever is agreed, recording a meeting to make a transcript still means the other people in it need to know.

This guide covers how those requests generally work, what to ask for, and how recording fits in.

Who might ask for transcripts

Transcripts, captions or notes of meetings can help people with, among others:

• hearing loss, who miss words live;
• dyslexia or other conditions where writing while listening is hard;
• conditions affecting concentration, memory or processing speed;
• fatigue-related conditions, where a long meeting is hard to follow to the end.

This guide does not say whether any condition counts as a disability in law. That depends on the definition in the relevant law and on the person's circumstances.

United States: the ADA and the EEOC's guidance

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the employment provisions of the ADA. Its enforcement guidance on reasonable accommodation sets out how requests work. Four points from it matter here.

Asking can be informal. The guidance says a person "may use 'plain English' and need not mention the ADA or use the phrase 'reasonable accommodation.'" A request does not have to be in writing.

It is a conversation. The employer and the person "should engage in an informal process to clarify what the individual needs and identify the appropriate reasonable accommodation." This is often called the interactive process. The employer may ask questions about the functional limitation.

The employer chooses among effective options. The employer "may choose among reasonable accommodations as long as the chosen accommodation is effective." The person's preference "should be given primary consideration", but the employer has the final say.

There is a limit. An employer need not provide an accommodation that would cause "undue hardship", meaning significant difficulty or expense.

The guidance's own examples include sign language interpreters and readers. A transcript, captions or a note-taker are the same kind of thing: a way of getting information to someone that they would otherwise miss.

Great Britain: the Equality Act 2010 and Acas

Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the duty to make reasonable adjustments. It has three requirements; the third is to take reasonable steps to provide an auxiliary aid where a disabled person would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage, and section 20(11) says an auxiliary aid includes an auxiliary service. Captioning, transcripts or a note-taker can fall within that.

Acas, the workplace advisory service for Great Britain, explains the duty in its guidance on reasonable adjustments (last updated 30 January 2025):

• reasonable adjustments are "changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone's disability";
• the duty covers employees and workers, contractors and self-employed people hired to do the work personally, and job applicants;
• employers must make them by law, including when they know someone is disabled and when someone asks for an adjustment.

Acas's examples include "providing emails and documents in an accessible format", which is close to what a transcript is.

Making a request

A practical order that fits both systems:

1. Say what is hard. "I miss parts of what is said in meetings, especially on calls" is more useful than naming a tool.
2. Say what would help. Captions during meetings, a transcript afterwards, notes from a named note-taker, agendas in advance, or a human captioner for important meetings.
3. Put it in writing. Not required in the US, but an email gives both of you a record.
4. Talk it through. Expect questions and possibly a different proposal. If the alternative would not work for you, say why.
5. Agree how recording will be handled. If the solution involves recording, agree who announces it, who can see the transcript and how long it is kept.
6. Review it. Try it for a few weeks, then say what is and is not working.

Recording and the other people in the meeting

A transcript of a spoken meeting usually means recording it, and recording has its own rules that an accommodation does not set aside.

• Recording law. Some places require everyone's consent to record a conversation. Is it legal to record a meeting? gives an overview.
• Data protection. A recording and transcript are personal data about everyone in them. Employers need a basis and must tell people.
• Workplace policy. Many organisations have a policy on recording meetings, and an employer arranging an accommodation will want it to fit. Writing a meeting recording policy covers what such policies contain.

The simplest way through is openness: the meeting is announced as transcribed, people know why and who sees the text, and the employee does not have to disclose their condition to the room. How to ask for consent to record has wording.

Automatic transcripts: when they are enough

An automatic transcript or captions may be an effective accommodation for routine meetings. They may not be for meetings where every word matters: disciplinary hearings, legal discussions, medical conversations, training assessed later. Automatic transcription makes mistakes with names, numbers, accents and people talking over each other. A human captioner or note-taker may then be what works. Live captions for meetings on a Mac compares the automatic options with human captioning.

Where Notey fits

Notey is a meeting notetaker for Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 26 or later. It records your microphone and what your Mac plays, shows a live transcript on your screen, and keeps it on your Mac. Recording and transcription need no account and no network, and audio never leaves the Mac.

It is not a captioning service, is not certified as assistive technology for anyone's needs, and using it does not by itself meet any employer's legal duty. It can be one of the tools an employee and employer agree on. If it is, the other people in the meeting still need to know they are being recorded; Notey shows a red dot and a timer to you while it records, and nothing to them, so telling them is up to you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ask for meeting transcripts as a reasonable accommodation?

In the US and Britain, you can ask for changes that remove a disadvantage linked to a disability, and transcripts or captions of meetings can be one. Whether a particular request must be granted depends on the facts and the law where you work.

Does a request for an accommodation have to be in writing?

Under the EEOC's guidance on the ADA, no. A person may use plain English and need not mention the ADA or the phrase "reasonable accommodation". Putting it in writing still helps you keep a record.

Can my employer offer something different from what I asked for?

Under the EEOC's guidance, the employer may choose among effective accommodations, giving primary consideration to the employee's preference. In Britain the duty is to take reasonable steps; Acas guidance encourages employers to talk to the employee.

Do other people have to agree if a meeting is recorded for my transcript?

They should at least know. Recording laws, data-protection law and workplace policy all apply, and an accommodation does not set them aside. Many employers handle this by announcing that a meeting is transcribed and why.

Is an automatic transcript good enough as an accommodation?

Sometimes. For meetings where every word matters, automatic transcripts may not be effective, and a human captioner or note-taker may be the right answer. That is part of the conversation with your employer.