Access Coordinators and Accommodations

For Persons with Communication Disabilities

 In keeping with the Judicial Conference Policy, the U.S. District Court – Eastern District of California provides reasonable accommodations to persons with communications disabilities at the court’s expense.

 If you are in need of such accommodations please contact our Access Coordinators: 

Sacramento

Yolanda Riley-Portal

Phone: 916-930-4221
 
Email:
yriley-portal@caed.uscourts.gov

Fresno

Javier Avelar

Phone: 559-499-5611

Email:
javelar@caed.uscourts.gov

§ 255 Services to the Hearing Impaired and Others with Communication Disabilities

§ 255.10 General

(a)        Under Judicial Conference policy, a court must provide sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services to participants in federal court proceedings who are deaf, hearing-impaired or have communication disabilities and may provide these services to spectators when the court deems appropriate (JCUS-SEP 95, p. 75). This policy provides for services in addition to those required by the Court Interpreters Act (28 U.S.C. § 1827).

(b)        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 that use of the means chosen would result in a fundamental change in the nature of the court proceeding or an undue financial or administrative burden.

 

§ 255.20 Auxiliary Aids and Services

(a)        When deemed appropriate by a court, computer-assisted real-time translation (CART) is one of the services that may be provided under these guidelines, but solely in furtherance of the limited purposes for which the guidelines have been adopted. Thus, real-time reporting should be provided only for as long as necessary and for those specific purposes required by a participant. An example would be to provide real-time reporting only for the duration of a deaf witness’ testimony.

(b)        Real-time reporting provided under these guidelines is to be used solely to assist in communication and is not to be used in lieu of conventional means of producing the official record.

(c)        Real-time services provided under these guidelines will be limited to a video display of spoken words, and may not include enhancements such as keyword searching or the provision of unedited daily transcripts.

(d)       The need to provide appropriate sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services is not an authorization to purchase and install real-time court reporting equipment in the courtroom. Such purchase is governed by Judicial Conference policy on court reporting. See: Guide, Vol 6, § 320.

NOTE:  Each courtroom is equipped with assistive listening devices which are readily available for use during court proceedings by participants, and spectators when deemed appropriate. CART or limited realtime services require court approval. Please submit requests for services in writing at least two (2) weeks in advance of your appearance.