Americans With Disability Act
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court will not discriminate against qualified individuals with either physical or mental disabilities in its services, programs, or activities. To this end, the Court strives to make reasonable accommodations for Court users with disabilities that are consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
If you have a disability and anticipate needing an accommodation, please contact the Court's ADA Coordinator, Darren Toms (see below). Alternative means of submitting an accommodation request, such as by personal interview or a tape recording, will be made available to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
It is recommended that you submit your request at least 10 business days prior to the date you need the accommodation. All requests for accommodation will be given due consideration and, if necessary, may require an interactive process between the requester and the Court to determine the best course of action.
The ADA does not require the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
The Court will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability, or any group of individuals with disabilities, to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public, but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.
Accessibility
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court is committed to providing all people with equal access to the Court. We continually refine our website in an effort to conform to accessibility standards and provide our online information in an accessible format. If you are having accessibility issues please contact the Court's ADA Coordinator.
There are accessible public entrances to the Justice Center on Lakeside Avenue and Ontario Street. The accessible public entrance for the Old Courthouse is on the west side of the building, facing Huntington Memorial Park.
Individuals with service animals are welcomed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court offices, even where pets are generally prohibited. Service animals are defined by the ADA as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Some state and local laws also define service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about Ohio's laws can be reviewed here.
Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not considered service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA, and the Court reserves the right to deny access to such animals in Common Pleas Court courtrooms and offices. If you have a question about whether your animal meets ADA guidelines, please contact the Court ADA Coordinator.
Employment
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.
Interpreters
The Court provides foreign language interpreters for persons with limited English proficiency in judicial proceedings, and to enable access to Court services and programs.
The Court also provides interpreters for deaf/hard-of-hearing persons and other reasonable disability accommodations to provide access to Court services, programs, facilities, and in judicial proceedings pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ADA Grievance Procedure
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court strives to make reasonable accommodations for Court users with disabilities consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA Grievance procedure outlined below is designed to address allegations of discrimination or that a reasonable accommodation has not been provided to an individual that would allow that individual to fully participate in, or receive the benefits of Court activities, programs, and services. Every effort will be made to comply with the time limits contained herein. The procedures and time limitations herein are to be liberally construed to provide a full review of complaints alleging discrimination or the failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.
Step 1: Contact the ADA Coordinator
The grievance must contain the name and address of the grievant, a description of the alleged discriminatory act or decision, including relevant dates and locations. Phone number, mailing address, and email address are listed at the bottom of this page.
Step 2: Assistance
If you need assistance in submitting your grievance, assistance will be made available for a person with a disability upon a request to the ADA Coordinator or designee.
Step 3: Resolution of Your Grievance
The ADA Coordinator will provide all grievances submitted under this procedure to the Court Administrator's office for review. If it is determined that the information submitted is insufficient, the ADA Coordinator, or designee, may request, obtain, and consider additional information that is deemed necessary to a full and fair determination of the grievance. Within 30 days after receipt of a grievance, the ADA Coordinator, or designee, shall respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the grievant. If the ADA Coordinator, or designee, is able to resolve the grievance, the resolution shall be set forth in writing and sent to the grievant. If the ADA Coordinator, or designee, is not able to resolve the grievance, the ADA Coordinator, or designee, shall advise the grievant, in writing, of all offers that have been made to resolve the grievance and of the federal and state agencies available should the grievant wish to pursue the matter further.
Contact Information
Darren Toms, Court ADA Coordinator
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, General Division
1200 Ontario St, 11th Floor
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 443-8635