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For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Silverman, Senior Director of Communications
Phone: (602) 340-7226
State Bar Report Evaluates Courthouse
Accessibility for People with Disabilities
PHOENIX – July 26, 2005 – For some people, “access to
justice” is measured by how easily they can get into and
through the courthouse. When you’re a person with a
physical disability that may not always be easy. That’s why
a State Bar of Arizona committee is releasing a report that
evaluates accessibility for 39 different courthouses
statewide.
The report is the result of almost two years of on-site
surveying. The State Bar of Arizona’s Committee on Persons
with Disabilities in the Legal Profession sent teams of
three to five people to city, state, federal and tribal
courthouses across Arizona. Many teams included a person
with a disability. The teams walked through the facilities,
took digital photos and wrote detailed reports on the
accommodations present for people with disabilities.
The purpose of each site visit was to identify innovations
in accessibility, make suggestions for improvement and then
share those ideas with the presiding judges and courthouse
administrators of Arizona courthouses. The teams looked for
modifications such as decreased pull tension on non-
automated doors, wing handles on sink faucets, appropriate
signage, ramps, and space to accommodate wheelchairs.
The 400+ page report is available on the State Bar’s Web
site, www.azbar.org. The report is being released on July
26, 2005 the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
The chair of the State Bar of Arizona’s Committee on
Persons with Disabilities in the Legal Profession is Tucson
Attorney Sally Simmons. Arizona Supreme Court Justice
Michael Ryan is the vice-chair. Phoenix Attorney James Reed
is chair of the subcommittee in charge of the courthouse
survey.
About the State Bar
The State Bar of Arizona is a non-profit organization that
operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme
Court. The Bar regulates approximately 13,000 active
attorneys in Arizona and provides education and development
programs for the legal profession and the public. The Bar
and its members are committed to serving the public by
making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard
in our justice system.
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