Publication Information
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Guide Purpose
This comprehensive Guide arises from the critical importance of ensuring full access for court users with disabilities across diverse state and local court settings including civil, criminal, family law, juvenile and dependency, mental health and drug courts, and other court auxiliary programs and services. It systematically outlines the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, with a strong focus on promoting ADA best practices, providing practical accommodation examples, referencing relevant court cases and U.S. Department of Justice settlements, raising awareness of the underlying concepts and disability constructs that steer engagement, fostering beneficial external relationships and partnerships, and offering a wealth of valuable resources. The central aim of this Guide is to empower court personnel to adeptly respond to a broad spectrum of court users with disabilities, spanning litigants, defendants, jurors, attorneys, witnesses, parents, children, juveniles, divorcees, practitioners, court spectators, and more, by creating methods of collective access where disability-related needs are acknowledged, embraced, and upheld with respect. This Guide can also be utilized by court users with disabilities and those associated with them, such as family and friends, advocates, organizations that serve people with disabilities, social service professionals, justice-oriented organizations, and others to learn and understand how the ADA applies to the judicial system. Each Guide chapter is designed to stand alone or work together to support comprehensive training.