Workshop

Date: Thursday, 9/24

Time: 4-5:15pm

There should be no question that an individual needs real communication to have access to justice in court and administrative proceedings. Who would deny a deaf individual who relies on ASL an interpreter in court? And yet there are many more ways in which disabilities can affect a person’s ability to effectively interact in the often confusing, nerve-wracking and high-stakes setting that is our justice system.

The Vermont Communication Support Project (VCSP) assists individuals with disabilities that impact their ability to communicate by assigning a Communication Support Specialist (CSS) to provide support in court, administrative proceedings and/or meetings that may include attorneys, state personnel or providers. A CSS is an individual specifically trained to understand the communication needs of people with disabilities. The project trains and recruits Communication Support Specialists and coordinates with the state and judiciary when a CSS is needed.

We have been in existence for over two decades in Vermont and despite eight other countries having similar projects entrenched in their judicial system, we are the only project of its kind in the United States. That makes Vermont a pioneer in this arena and demonstrates a commitment to ensuring equal access to our system of justice and State services.

In this workshop we hope to:

• Introduce the Project and its origin and development in Vermont;
• Highlight the range of needs for accommodations across many disabilities;
• Illustrate ways in which Specialists assist clients to communicate;
• Put the Project in its national and international setting;
• People attending the workshop will:
• Get a sense of the need for communication related ADA accommodations;
• Get a sense of how these can be addressed;
• Think about what their states might lack in ability to facilitate communication in court.