County ordered to accommodate physically challenged

Below is an excerpt from an arrangement agreed to by the County with the federal government under the American’s with Disabilities Act on June 9, 2010.  The entire document is available here.  Click here for the entire directive.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PROVISIONS

12.  The Lancaster County Courthouse and Magistrates’ Offices contain 33 courtrooms, each capable of seating between approximately 20 and 200 participants (including jurors, witnesses, judges, clerks, counsel, parties, and members of the public). In order to ensure effective communication with any participant with a hearing disability in the services, programs, or activities of the Lancaster County Courthouse and Magistrates’ Offices, the County agrees to:

1. Develop a policy about the provision of auxiliary aids and services;
2. Purchase and make available a reasonable number of portable assistive listening systems for use at the Courthouse and each of the Magistrates’ Offices;
3. Have available at least two (2) receivers for the use of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing at the Courthouse and have at least two (2) receivers for use of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing for the Magistrates’ Offices;
4. Train appropriate court personnel in the set-up, use, and maintenance of the assistive listening system and its receivers; and
5. Post a notice in the Court Clerk’s office and in other conspicuous areas of the Courthouse lobby and each of the Magistrates’ Offices notifying patrons of the availability of the listening system, and distribute the notice to all judges and appropriate staff of the Courthouse and Magistrates’ Offices. The notice will include the following:
   i.  Name, address, and telephone number of the person responsible for providing assistive listening devices,ii.  Procedures for requesting assistive listening devices, and

   iii.  Procedures regarding maintenance of the assistive listening system.

13.  The County agrees to complete the actions outlined above within 6 months of the effective date of this Agreement. Within 3 months of completing the actions outlined above, the County will send written confirmation of completion to the United States. The confirmation will include a description of the assistive listening equipment, a copy of the notice, and a list of the individuals trained in the use and maintenance of the equipment.