NAD and Law Firm File Complaint Against Kentucky State Courts for
Failure to Provide Intepreters
A News Release from the National Association of the Deaf
Release Date: May 7, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Anita B. Farb
Director, Communications and Operations
National Association of the Deaf
Email: http://www.nad.org/contactus
NAD and Law Firm File Complaint Against Kentucky State Courts for
Failure to Provide Interpreters
Silver Spring, MD – The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and
the law firm Freking & Betz have filed a complaint in federal court
against the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Administrative Office of
the Courts alleging their failure to provide qualified sign language
interpreters for Teri Mosier, a deaf attorney admitted to practice in
Kentucky. The complaint also names as defendants Joseph Lambert in his
official capacity as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky,
and Jason Nemes in his official capacity as Director of the
Administrative Office of the Courts. The complaint was filed in the
United States District Court in Lexington, Kentucky.
Defendants’ policy states that they “must comply with the
Americans with Disabilities Act by providing qualified interpreters
for the deaf and hard of hearing.” However, Defendants’ policy
further states that they will “not provide interpreting services for
attorneys.”
The complaint alleges that the Defendants’ refusal to provide
qualified sign language interpreter services when Ms. Mosier
represents clients in court proceedings violates Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act. The failure of the court to provide qualified interpreter
services to ensure effective communication with Ms. Mosier effectively
limits Ms. Mosier’s ability to practice law.
“State and local courts are required to provide accommodations,
such as qualified sign language interpreters, when necessary to ensure
effective communication with individuals, including attorneys, who are
deaf or hard of hearing,” said Rosaline Crawford, Director of the
NAD Law and Advocacy Center.
The complaint asks the United States District Court to declare that
the Defendants’ policy of not providing qualified sign language
interpreters for deaf attorneys violates the Americans with
Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The complaint further
asks the court to award money damages to Ms. Mosier.
About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by
deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community
to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and
to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs
remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value.
As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve,
protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf
Americans. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the
breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of
early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology,
telecommunications, youth leadership, and more. For more information,
please visit http://www.nad.org
.
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
http://calendar.deafnetwork.com
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
Forward a Message to Someone
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=1719
—
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —