Americans with Disabilities Act

Accommodation Process

      The Rhode Island Judiciary will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for qualified individuals with disabilities to ensure equal access to employment. In addition, the Judiciary will provide reasonable accommodations upon request to individuals with disabilities so that they can access the programs, services, and proceedings of the courts. The Judiciary can provide assistive listening systems and devices upon advance request to individuals with disabilities; however, the Judiciary does not have the obligation to provide personal services and devices, such as wheelchairs, eyeglasses, or hearing aids to access the courts. Moreover, the Judiciary’s ADA Office does not grant continuances or other assistance pertaining to the scheduling or conduct of cases or hearings. Individuals seeking a continuance or other relief relating to a pending matter must contact the court directly. See Court and Location Contact List.

     The Judiciary consists of the unified state court system and does not include municipal or probate courts. If you need an accommodation for a municipal or probate court matter, you need to contact the local court directly.

Employees

     The Judiciary is an equal opportunity employer and employees and potential employees should contact the Employee Relations Office at (401) 222-2700 and the ADA Office at ada@courts.ri.gov to arrange for a workplace accommodation.

Court Users (Litigants, Attorneys, Witnesses, Potential Jurors, and Others)

  1. An individual with a disability or the individual’s attorney (if any) should notify the court of the need for an accommodation in advance as soon as it is known that an accommodation is needed by completing the Request Form for Sign Language Interpreters, Assistive Listening Equipment, or Other ADA Accommodation Accommodation  (hereinafter Accommodation Request Form).. Contact can be made via email to ada@courts.ri.gov, in writing, in person, or over the telephone through voice numbers, through court TTY numbers, or RI RELAY at 7-1-1 (TTY).

  2. The completed form should be given to court staff assigned to the particular court or program as listed in the Court and Location Contact List.

  3. The ADA Office shall notify the requester whether the request can be filled no later than two (2) business days prior to the court hearing or meeting, if feasible.

  4. State Law Library Users: Please see the Rhode Island State Law Library Policy Statement for Individuals with Disabilities.

  5. Sign Language Interpreter Services: Interpreter requests should be made by filling out the Request Form for Sign Language Interpreters, Assistive Listening Equipment, or Other ADA Accommodation as soon as possible in advance. If more than one individual in the same case needs a sign language interpreter, that other person should also make a request noting whether they can share one or need different interpreters.

  6. Any cancellations or changes to a court date with a scheduled interpreter should be forwarded to the ADA office as soon as possible so as not to incur cancellation charges.

        Questions, comments, or complaints about the accommodation process can be directed to:

Tamara N. Rocha, Esq., ADA Coordinator
Access to Justice Office
Noel Judicial Complex
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886
(401) 615-2469 or through RI RELAY at 7-1-1
ada@courts.ri.gov

         For further information on the ADA and accessibility matters, see the Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disabilities at www.disabilities.ri.gov or the federal ADA website at www.ada.gov.