Services to Persons with Communications Disabilities

Federal courts “must provide sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services to participants in federal judicial proceedings who are deaf, hearing impaired, or have communication disabilities, and may provide these services to spectators when the court deems appropriate. Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 5. Ch.2, § 255(a). Auxiliary Aids and Services are effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments, including qualified interpreters and assistive listening devices or systems.  Participants that are eligible to receive these aids and services include the parties, attorneys, and witnesses of in-court or out-of-court judicial proceedings. Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 5. Ch.1, § 140. Judicial proceedings include trials, hearings, ceremonies and other public programs or activities conducted by a court.

Upon the accommodation request from a participant or spectator for auxiliary aids and services, the Court shall determine the accommodation request is for sign language interpreters or the need for auxiliary aids to deaf and hearing-impaired participants. The Court should honor a participant’s choice of auxiliary aid or service, unless it can show that another equally effective means of communication is available, or use of the means chosen would result in a fundamental change in the nature of the judicial proceeding, or an undue financial or administrative burden. Guide to Judiciary Policy, Vol. 5. Ch.2, § 255(b).

Should the Court deem the accommodation request is warranted, the access coordinator should be contacted to accommodate the request for aids and/or services.

Access Coordinators

The following individual has been designated as access coordinator for the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana:

The name of each access coordinator, office location, phone number, and email address will be posted in the intake area of each respective divisional office. The access coordinator will have working knowledge of the types of auxiliary aids and services available to serve the needs of disabled persons and of the local sources from which auxiliary aids and services (including real time reporting) may be procured.

Auxiliary Aids and Services

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana currently has (List type of courtroom aids we have currently.  Getting this information from Travis.)

Requests for the use of auxiliary aids and services must be made directly to the access coordinator by emailing the Auxiliary Aids and Services Accommodation Request Form, as far in advance as possible of the court proceeding involved. At least a 24-hour notice prior to the judicial proceeding is preferred.  When such auxiliary aids or services are requested, the access coordinator should relay the request directly to the courtroom deputy clerk assigned to the court proceeding involved. The access coordinator and the courtroom deputy clerk will then proceed to make all logistical arrangements to procure the auxiliary aids or services requested