DOJ REACHES AGREEMENT WITH ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA, COURTS

The Justice Department announced recently that it has reached a settlement with the Orange County Clerk of Courts in Florida to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The settlement resolves allegations that the Orange County Clerk of Courts failed to provide a blind attorney with electronic court documents in an accessible format readable by his screen reader technology, despite repeated requests. A motion filed in one of his cases included over 20 exhibits, the majority of which were not provided in an accessible format for over four months.

Under the settlement agreement, 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.