Policies and Procedures

• Direct Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities
• Assistance for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Emergency Evacuation Procedures
• Grievances
• Education and Public Outreach

The 16th Judicial Circuit Court’s Assistant Director of Court Services serves as the Court’s Coordinator relative to the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). The Deputy Coordinators are: the Independence Assistant Jury Supervisor and the Assistant Director of Court Services. The Coordinator oversees the Court’s compliance with the ADA for all the Court’s facilities, with the exception of those under the administration of the Family Court Division.

The role of the ADA Coordinator, in concert with the Deputy Coordinators, is to facilitate accessibility to the Court’s facilities and services for those citizens with disabilities. Under most circumstances, the needs of these populations can be accommodated within each Department or Division, as has been the case historically. However, when circumstances dictate that further measures be taken, those measures are the responsibility of the ADA Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators.

Employees’ needs regarding the ADA should be directed to the Director of Human Resources.

Direct Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities

Court Hearings/Proceedings:

Citizens and litigants in need of services under the ADA should complete an ADA Services/Accessibility Form, which is available on the Court’s website and in the Court Administrator’s Office (Attachment A). The form should be submitted to the appropriate Division or the Department at least three Court days prior to the use of services, if possible.

The Division whose services are being accessed should notify the ADA Coordinator as early as is practicable. Specifically, when a Division is aware that a party to a proceeding needs accommodation, the Division should notify the ADA Coordinator immediately and provide the following information: 

1. Date and time of proceeding
2. Nature of disability
3. Services needed, i.e., Hearing Assisted Devices, Mobile Ramps, use of ADA Courtrooms
4. Name and contact information of person requiring assistance or his or her representative

Once that information is received, the ADA Coordinator and the Presiding Judge will determine whether the nature of the individual’s needs requires use of an ADA Courtroom. If that determination is made, the ADA Coordinator and the Presiding Judge will work with the appropriate Divisions to relocate scheduled proceedings.

The use of ADA Courtrooms are prioritized as follows:

Kansas City Courthouse:
Primary ADA Courtroom: Division 14, 4th Floor
Secondary ADA Courtroom: Division 50, 10th Floor

Division 14’s designation as the primary ADA Courtroom is based on the potential need for evacuation during emergency, as this would be more easily achieved from the 4th Floor than from the 10th Floor. Such an evacuation would be accomplished under the Court’s Emergency/Evacuation Procedures (Administrative Order 2002-29; Attachment B).

Independence Courthouse:
Primary ADA Courtroom: Division 33, Ground Floor
Secondary ADA Courtroom: Division 28, Ground Floor

Because Division 28 is also used by the County Legislature, and therefore has less availability, Division 33 is designated as the primary ADA Courtroom.

Criminal Justice Building:
The Criminal Justice Building is ADA compliant, as is each courtroom located in it.

If the ADA Coordinator and the Presiding Judge determine the individual’s needs can be met without the use of an ADA Courtroom, the Coordinator will:

1. Ensure that both doors to the Courtroom are unlocked, to provide adequate passage for a wheelchair, if needed;
2. Ensure that any needed devices, i.e., wheelchair ramp, hearing assisted devices, are in place prior to the proceeding.

Assistance for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons:

Under ADA rules and regulations and Missouri law (476.750-476.766 RSMo) the Court is obligated to assist hearing impaired individuals by providing American Sign Language interpreters, hearing assistance devices, and real-time transcription services. According to OSCA, a “deaf or hard of hearing person who is a party, juror or witness at any stage of any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding … is entitled to auxiliary aids and services” (OSCA: “ADA and Missouri Statutes and Statistics”; 2/11/02).

• Interpreters: Requests for the services of an American Sign Language interpreter should be directed to the Court Administrator’s Office at (816) 881-3934.
• Real-Time Transcription: Real-time transcription services are available in the Kansas City Metropolitan area through private providers. Requests for real-time transcription services should be directed to the ADA Coordinator.

  OSCA can reimburse fees for “reasonable accommodations and services”, including interpreters and real-time transcription. Reimbursement for such services will be sought by the Court Administrator’s Office.

• Hearing Assistance Devices: Hearing assistance devices are available through the Court’s Court Services Department. At present, the Court has two such devices for use in Kansas City and Independence. Requests for use of these devices should be directed to the ADA Coordinator or a Deputy Coordinator.
• Relay Missouri Service: This service provides full telephone accessibility to people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled. A TTY phone is NOT required. This service may be used by the Court to contact deaf or hard of hearing persons, or by deaf or hard of hearing persons to contact the Court. To make an outgoing call from the Court, simply dial 711 to be connected to a Communication Assistant who will serve as the “relay” between Court personnel and the deaf or hard of hearing person. Any incoming call will be announced by the Relay Missouri Service communication assistant. (This service is free for local calls. Long-distance calls are charged at the telephone carrier’s rates. Any charges incurred are the responsibility of the party initializing the call.)

Court Departments/Services:

When Department personnel are unable to accommodate the needs of an individual attempting to access that Department’s services, Department personnel should immediately contact the ADA Coordinator for assistance. The Coordinator will determine at that point the measures needed to accommodate the individual and will carry out those measures.


Emergency Evacuation Procedures:

In the event an evacuation is required, floor leaders (as assigned under the Court’s emergency plan) would be required to assist persons as necessary. The ADA Coordinator should be notified of the evacuation immediately, in order to notify the appropriate floor leader(s) that an individual will need assistance to evacuate.

Grievances

The ADA Coordinator will review and respond as required to any grievances filed under the Court’s Americans with Disabilities Act – Grievance Procedures (Attachment C).
 

Education and Public Outreach

Education

The ADA Coordinator is responsible for coordination of sensitivity training for Court personnel regarding disabilities. This will be accomplished through cooperation with the Office of the State Courts Administrator and outreach efforts to local service agencies that provide such training. The sensitivity training sessions will be conducted semi-annually, in an effort to reach all personnel, as well as to keep personnel informed as issues develop.

Public Outreach

The ADA Coordinator will maintain accessibility information on the Court’s website, establish working relationships with regional agencies providing services to the disabled, and working with the media on issues as warranted.

In addition, the following language will be added to the civil and criminal trial dockets, as well as to the summons packet for the domestic and Associate Circuit Judge/small claims cases:

If an attorney, party or witness to any proceeding requires accommodation under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the person requiring the accommodation should contact the Court’s ADA Coordinator at (816) 881-3389.