Communication Access Fund
The Communication Access Fund will reimburse attorneys for sign language interpreters, Computer Assisted Real-Time Transcription (CART), braille documents, and other auxiliary aids and services that they need to serve clients with disabilities.
The State Bar is providing this service to help attorneys meet their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although most attorneys know they must provide auxiliary aids or services if they are necessary to communicate effectively with clients who have disabilities, the costs of these services can be burdensome. These costs can be especially burdensome for solo practitioners and small firms because they cannot be passed on to the client.
When the Disability Issues Committee suggested that the State Bar establish a Communication Access Fund, it was immediately apparent that this was an exciting opportunity to serve our members and the community all at once. The Fund will help lawyers by defraying the costs of these services, and it will help the community by making legal services more accessible to clients with disabilities. When the State Bar established the Fund, it was the only state bar in the nation providing this service statewide.