Federal Courts

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The Judicial Conference of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts has adopted a policy that all federal courts will "provide reasonable accommodations to persons with communications disabilities." JCUS-SEP 95, p. 40. The Judicial Conference requires courts to provide sign language interpreters or other appropriate auxiliary aid to deaf and hard of hearing participants in court proceedings, at judiciary expense, in accordance with guidelines prepared by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. The guidelines are published in Vol. I, Administrative Manual, Chapter III, General Management and Administration, Guide to Judiciary Policies and Procedures.

NOTE: State and local courts are required to provide auxiliary aids and services by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12131-34. For information about the responsibility of state and local courts, contact the NAD Law Center.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law and Advocacy Center prepared this material as informal guidance. This is not legal advice. The NAD assumes no liability for this material.

For additional information or technical assistance about how laws against disability discrimination apply to you, contact the NAD Law and Advocacy Center, 301-587-7730 Voice/TTY, 301-587-0234 FAX, www.nad.org/contactus; a local attorney (for more information, see  Get a Lawyer); or an enforcement agency (see list at www.ada.gov or call 800-514-0301 Voice or 800-514-0383 TTY).