The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) and the Access to Justice Division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) have announced a new grant initiative to support local courts in improving accessibility for people with disabilities.
The Disability Accessibility Improvement Grant will help Illinois courts bridge budget gaps to address barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully accessing court services, with the goal of creating respectful and courteous court environments for all.
Grant funds can be used to support or expand existing projects or to create new initiatives. Some examples in the grant proposal include installing ramps, remodeling jury boxes, hiring interpreters, or conducting comprehensive accessibility audits to identify needs.
Applications must be submitted by an Illinois court or court system, clerk’s office, sheriff or bailiff’s office, state’s attorney’s office, or public defender’s office. All applications must be submitted in partnership with the local Court Disability Coordinator.
Grant applications should be emailed to August Hieber (ahieber@illinoiscourts.gov) at the AOIC before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15. Each one-year grant term will run from January 1 – December 31, 2025.
Ensuring ‘more uniform access’
About 1 in 4 adults in Illinois have a disability related to mobility, cognition, independent living, hearing, vision, or self-care, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
All Illinois courts are obligated to address barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Illinois Human Rights Act, and the recently updated Illinois Supreme Court Policy on Access for People with Disabilities.
However, access to funding for these initiatives is not always consistent. For example, the grant proposal notes that some courts may have funds to make physical changes to court spaces or to purchase modern accessibility aids while others may lack these resources.
The grant, in part, will bridge current budget gaps to ensure “more uniform access to resources for courts” while creating a “sustainable path forward to local funding for solutions” to address accessibility barriers, the proposal says.
The Supreme Court is committed to ensuring court access for all
The Illinois Supreme Court is committed to ensuring equal access to the courts for people with disabilities while promoting environments that are considerate of the needs of all.
To this end, In December 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court announced amendments to M.R. 25307 and the Illinois Supreme Court Policy on Access for People with Disabilities.
The amended policy, which went into effect on January 1, 2024, requires all Illinois courts to have updated Court Disability Coordinator contact information on notice of accommodation signs and request forms, to ensure court users know where to direct their disability access questions.
The policy also further articulates “the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the corresponding Federal Regulations, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and case law clarifying the responsibilities of the courts and the rights of people with disabilities who access court activities,” a press release said.
In addition, the policy included an updated definition of disability, which it defines as “a physical or mental characteristic that substantially limits one or more major life activities,” shifted its focus from “communications” and “accommodations” to all court activities, and redesigned required notices and forms.
The amendments were proposed by the ATJ Commission’s Disability Access Committee and approved by the Illinois Supreme Court.
“The Illinois Supreme Court is committed to access to justice for all users of the court system,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said in the press release. “We appreciate the efforts of our Access to Justice Commission, members of the disability community and members of the legal aid community who worked on these improvements.”
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