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Florida Clerk of Courts Fails Blind Lawyer, Pays $10,000
ORLANDO, FL – The Orange County Clerk of Courts has been busted for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) after failing to provide a blind attorney with electronic court documents in an accessible format.
According to authorities, the Clerk of Courts repeatedly ignored requests from the blind attorney, who was forced to wait over four months for the documents in his case. The motion in question included over 20 exhibits, the majority of which were not provided in an accessible format.
‘The Civil Rights Division commends the Orange County Clerk of Courts for working with us to ensure equal access to the official court record for individuals with disabilities,’ said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels. ‘Access to court documents is critical to ensuring that individuals with vision impairments and other disabilities have full and equal access to the courts—a right fundamental to our justice system.’
Under the settlement, the Orange County Clerk of Courts will provide individuals with disabilities with any document in the official court record in an accessible format upon request, and ensure that the Clerk of Courts’ website is accessible to individuals with disabilities, including blind individuals, in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.
The Clerk of Courts will also pay $10,000 in damages to the complaining attorney and undergo training on the ADA and WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility requirements.
Under the ADA and its implementing regulations, Florida clerks of court are required to make their programs, services and activities accessible to qualified individuals with disabilities. Those interested in finding out more about this settlement or the obligations of state and local government entities under the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website.
The ADA complaint may be filed by email. The Orange County Clerk of Courts’ failure to provide accessible documents to the blind attorney is a clear example of the need for greater awareness and compliance with the ADA.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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