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More and more, people who are deaf or hard of hearing are relying on communication access realtime translation (CART) to fully participate in the judicial system as jurors, litigants, attorneys, judges or observers. However, the nation’s courts currently do not have a national standard on how CART should be applied based on the individual’s needs.
To provide continuity in the provision of CART services in the legal setting, the National Court Reporters Foundation and the American Judges Foundation have developed model guidelines for the use of CART in the courtroom that offer a structure from which courts can draw in order to meet their individual circumstances. Courts can then manage the accessibility of CART services for people with hearing loss in a uniform and effective manner, benefiting both the court and the CART consumers. The model guidelines:
- Define CART and explain the duties of the CART provider;
- Set forth standards of ethics and professional responsibility;
- Explain how citizens can request the services of a CART provider;
- Establish procedures and protocol for the interaction of the CART provider with the hard-of-hearing or deaf citizen and court personnel; and
- Describe the appropriate procedure for providing CART service not only in the courtroom during the trial, but also in the jury assembly room, the jury deliberation room, witness interviews and other judicial environments where communication access is necessary.
Visit the National Court Reporter's Foundation website for the complete guidelines.
For More information on communication access in the courts, click here.
© 2002 National Court Reporters Association, All Rights Reserved
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