Whether an individual qualifies for accommodation is something that is determined on a case-by-case basis. Any accommodation provided by the courts will be at no cost to qualified individuals with disabilities. Such accommodations include: Architecturally renovating facilities to make them readily accessible to and usable by an individual with disabilities. Relocating a service to enable a person with a disability to participate. Obtaining or modifying equipment or devices (including videophones or TDDs, assistive listening systems, videotext displays, or publishing materials in Braille and large print). Providing qualified readers and interpreters. Providing reserved parking for a person with a mobility impairment. Allowing a person with a disability to provide equipment or devices that the public entity is not required to provide. Title II Accommodation Requirements To provide access to qualified individuals with disabilities, the courts are required to: Make reasonable modifications to policies and practices, Remove architectural, communication or transportation barriers, and Provide auxiliary aids and services. A public entity should give “primary consideration” to the auxiliary aid or service requested by the individual with the disability. Modification to Policies and Practices Courts must examine existing policies and procedures for possible barriers to equal access and make any needed modifications. For example, although courts may have a policy barring people from bringing pets to court, the policy should contain an exception for service animals (A Model Service Animal Policy can be found on the Court Program Accessibility website). Architectural, Communication and Transportation Barriers With the understanding that it is sometimes impossible to make a courthouse completely accessible to individuals with disabilities, there are other methods that can be used to assure the courts’ compliance with ADA requirements. For example, in order to allow program access, the court may move the program to an accessible location rather than attempting to make all of the necessary architectural changes to the existing location. Communication is key to full participation in court services. To ensure effective communication, it may be necessary to provide various auxiliary devices upon request. The procedure for requesting an accommodation should be clear and made publicly
Whether an individual qualifies for accommodation is something that is determined on a case-by-case basis. Any accommodation provided by the courts will be at no cost to qualified individuals with disabilities. Such accommodations include: Architecturally renovating facilities to make them readily accessible to and usable by an individual with disabilities. Relocating a service to enable a person with a disability to participate. Obtaining or modifying equipment or devices (including videophones or TDDs, assistive listening systems, videotext displays, or publishing materials in Braille and large print). Providing qualified readers and interpreters. Providing reserved parking for a person with a mobility impairment. Allowing a person with a disability to provide equipment or devices that the public entity is not required to provide. Title II Accommodation Requirements To provide access to qualified individuals with disabilities, the courts are required to: Make reasonable modifications to policies and practices, Remove architectural, communication or transportation barriers, and Provide auxiliary aids and services. A public entity should give “primary consideration” to the auxiliary aid or service requested by the individual with the disability. Modification to Policies and Practices Courts must examine existing policies and procedures for possible barriers to equal access and make any needed modifications. For example, although courts may have a policy barring people from bringing pets to court, the policy should contain an exception for service animals (A Model Service Animal Policy can be found on the Court Program Accessibility website). Architectural, Communication and Transportation Barriers With the understanding that it is sometimes impossible to make a courthouse completely accessible to individuals with disabilities, there are other methods that can be used to assure the courts’ compliance with ADA requirements. For example, in order to allow program access, the court may move the program to an accessible location rather than attempting to make all of the necessary architectural changes to the existing location. Communication is key to full participation in court services. To ensure effective communication, it may be necessary to provide various auxiliary devices upon request. The procedure for requesting an accommodation should be clear and made publicly
Title%20II%20ADA%20Guide%20for%20Washington%20Courts.docx