ADA Accommodations

How to Request ADA Accommodations

Applications requesting accommodations for a disability should be presented in writing on a Disability Accommodation Request (Form MC-410) in person, by mail, by email, or by fax. Oral requests may be made as the court deems appropriate. Applications must be submitted to the ADA Coordinator at the location of the court proceeding(s).

All applications for accommodations must include a description of the accommodation sought, along with a statement of the impairment and an explanation why such accommodation is needed. The Court, in its discretion, may require the applicant to provide additional information about the qualifying impairment.

Request for accommodation should be made as far in advance as possible, no less than five court days prior to the date needed. The Court may, in its discretion, waive this requirement.

ADA Request Form – MC-410

For further information about Form MC-410, please consult here: ADA Request Form Info

You must have a PDF reader such as Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to read the files marked with a PDF icon. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, download this free Adobe Software.

The Court recognizes that individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are unable to participate in court proceedings and unable to benefit from court programs and services when they are not provided with appropriate auxiliary aids and services. Likewise, people who are blind or have low vision are unable to benefit from court services when printed materials are the only means of communication available.

Persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, may use a TTY or TDD device to contact the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) by dialing 711. Toll free TRS services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Once connected, provide the operator with the court’s phone number (415) 551-5737. One of the court administrative staff will connect you to the appropriate unit for assistance.

The Court will ensure that communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. The Court when possible, will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities (e.g., CART for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, qualified interpreters, computer-aided transcription services, assistive listening devices, written materials, audio recordings, and large print) to ensure that individuals with disabilities will be able to participate in the complete range of court services and programs. The Court will give primary consideration to the type of auxiliary aid or services that individuals with disabilities request. The Court will make reasonable efforts to accommodate disability accommodation requests made less than five days before a hearing or other court appearance.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available through the Court at no charge to the requesting party and do not require a Disability Accommodation Request. For more information or to request an ASL interpreter, visit Interpreter Division | Superior Court of California | County of San Francisco.

Assistive listening devices are available and can be obtained by contacting the courtroom clerk in the department where the proceeding will be held. The use of the court's assistive listening device does not require a Disability Accommodation Request.

The Court’s list of certified CART providers is presented below:

It is the policy of the San Francisco County Superior Court to assure that qualified individuals with disabilities have equal and full access to the judicial system. Court staff shall make every effort to assist individuals requesting reasonable accommodations in accordance with Rule 1.100 of the California Rules of Court (CRC).

Requests for accommodations should be easily and expeditiously provided. The Interactive Process is an ongoing dialogue between the individuals with disabilities requesting accommodation(s) and the appropriate ADA coordinator within the Court about possible options for reasonably accommodating an individual with a disability. This process includes ascertaining the individual’s limitations and determining how they could be overcome with a reasonable accommodation, as well as identifying potential accommodations and assessing their effectiveness. Both the individual and the Court are required to participate in this process in good faith.

The Court will promptly inform the applicant of the determination to grant or deny an accommodation request. If the accommodation request is denied in whole or in part, the response will be in writing and the reason(s) will be provided in writing to the individual requesting the accommodation. Upon the request of the applicant, the Court may also provide an additional response in an alternative format. The response to the applicant will indicate whether the request for accommodation is granted or denied, in whole or in part, or an alternative accommodation is granted.

It shall be the responsibility of each ADA Coordinator to familiarize themselves with CRC Rule 1.100, the use of Form MC 410 and established court procedures for processing request for accommodations.*

Grievances and Appeals:

If the Court denies your accommodation request, you have 10 days from the date of the denial notice to appeal the decision. You must follow the procedures in California Rule of Court rule 1.100(g).

If your request was denied by any other Court staff, you must submit a written request for review under California Rules of Court rule 1.100(g)(1). Please submit requests for review to the ADA Coordinator.

If your request was denied by a Judge or Commissioner, you must file a petition for writ of mandate in the appropriate reviewing court* under California Rules of Court rules 8.485-8.493 or 8.930-8.936. *The "appropriate reviewing court" under this rule depends on the court in which the accommodation decision is made and the nature of the underlying case. If the accommodation decision is made by a superior court judicial officer and the underlying case is a limited civil, misdemeanor, or infraction case, the appropriate reviewing court is the appellate division of the superior court. If the accommodation decision is made by a superior court judicial officer and the case is anything other than a limited civil, misdemeanor, or infraction case, such as a family law, unlimited civil, or felony case, the appropriate reviewing court is the Court of Appeal. If the accommodation decision is made by a judicial officer of the Court of Appeal, the appropriate reviewing court is the California Supreme Court.

If you believe that the Court has otherwise discriminated against anyone on the basis of disability, you can follow the Court’s Grievance Procedure for Disability Discrimination Complaints.

Agency Name	Phone Number	Services For
Independent Living Resource Center	(415) 543-6222 (415) 543-6768 (Chinese) (415) 543-6743 (Spanish) (415) 543-6743 (TTY)	All Disabilities Information & referral Services-Help secure an attorney Benefits Counselor-Issues such as applying for SSI Housing Counselor Peer Counseling Transition from hospital to Alternative Living Arrangement
Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency (DCARA), San Leandro	(510) 483-0753	Deaf Persons Referrals to Law Center for the Deaf Peer Counseling Issues concerning Independent Living Coping skills
Law Center for the Deaf	(510) 483-0922	Deaf Persons Discrimination based on the disability of deafness Simple Wills Housing Issues Can make referrals if unable to handle In-House
AIDS Legal Referral Panel	(415) 701-1100	Persons with HIV Family Law legal issues Civil Tort legal issues Wills, Bankruptcy, Credit Insurance, HMO's Employment concerns Confidentiality matters
Family Caregiver Alliance	(415) 434-3388	For families and caregivers of persons with disabilities Legal Consultations Fact sheets, Publications, Support Groups, Newsletter, Education
Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society	(415) 864-8848	Employment Issues for persons with Mental Health Issues. Ask for Claudia Center Give legal advice Make legal referrals
Golden Gate Regional Center	(415) 546-9222	Persons with Developmental Disabilities. Must be a client or eligible for assessment with the center. Support for persons involved in the legal system Consultations with Attorneys and Judges to help them understand & be more aware of persons with Developmental Disabilities
Legal Assistance to the Elderly	(415) 538=3333	Elderly Persons Physical & financial abuse Health Care Tenant problems Health Insurance Powers of Attorney SSI Referrals if necessary
Legal Services	(415) 863-3762	Family Law Issues Legal Services for: Guardianships, Emancipation, Restraining Orders, Dependency, Delinquency, Hearings Arising Out of School Discipline, Special Education, Mental Health, Benefits, Immigration, etc. Advice and referrals Services to HIV affected families Educational workshops & advice
Bay Area Legal Aid	(415) 982-1300	General Legal Questions Counseling & legal representation Information & referrals Escaping Domestic Violence Advice about Domestic Relations issues Obtaining Public Benefits Keeping your housing Getting Health Care Immigration issues Workshops & training

To assure equal access, fair treatment, and the just and efficient resolution of disputes for all people asserting their rights under the law.

We will be happy to help you if we can. However, we are allowed to help you only in certain ways since we want to be fair to everyone. This is a list of some things the court staff can and cannot do for you.

We Can	We Cannot
explain and answer the questions about how the court works.	tell you whether or not you should bring your case to court.
provide you the number of the local lawyer referral service, legal aid program and other services where you can get legal advice.	tell what words to use in your court papers. However, we will check your papers for completeness. For example, we check for signatures, notarization, correct county name, correct case number and presence of attachments.
give you general information about court rules, procedures and practices.	tell you what to say in court.
provide court schedules and information on how to get a case scheduled.	give you an opinion about what will happen if you bring your case to court.
give you information from your case file.	talk to the Judge for you.
provide you with court forms that are available,	let you talk to the judge outside of Court.
usually answer questions about court deadlines and how to compute them.	change an order signed by a Judge.

Court staff do not know the answers to all questions about court rules, procedures and practices. We have been instructed not to answer questions if we do not know the correct answer. For additional information, please contact a lawyer or your local law library, or check the California Courts Self-Help Center

Judicial Branch of California

ADA Accommodations

How to Request ADA Accommodations

Civic Center Courthouse

Hall of Justice

Polk Street (Community Justice Center)

Youth Guidance Center

Was this helpful?

ADA Accommodations

Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Resources

CART Providers

ADA Coordinators

Civic Center Courthouse

Hall of Justice

Polk Street (Community Justice Center)

Youth Guidance Center

Court ADA Policy

Additional Services for Disabled Persons

Information Court Staff Can & Cannot Provide