State Bar of Texas: Communication Access Fund
The State Bar of Texas has created a new service available to lawyers throughout Texas to assist them with meeting their effective communication responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to ensure that all Texans can access legal assistance that meets their communication needs. Through the newly-created Communication Access Fund, lawyers can seek reimbursement for auxiliary aids and services they have provided to clients who are deaf/hard of hearing or have a visual disability.
The fund provides reimbursement for services such as sign language interpreters, Computer Assisted Real-Time Transcription (CART), braille documents, readers, etc., provided to ensure effective communication with clients.
The Disability Issues Committee of the State Bar is also collaborating with the Legal Access Division of the State Bar to provide education to lawyers on effective communication requirements under the ADA.
For more information on the Communication Access Fund, training offered by the Disability Issues Committee, or how to find qualified sign language interpreters, please go to http://texasbar.com/communicationaccess/