Accessibility

Disability Access and Accommodations

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is committed to providing equal access to its proceedings and services. Persons who require an accommodation to participate in or attend a court proceeding may submit a request to the Court’s Disability Access Coordinator.

The Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply to the federal judiciary. This Court provides accommodations under Judicial Conference policy.

Who May Request an Accommodation

Anyone who requires an accommodation due to a disability may submit a request, including parties (whether represented by counsel or representing themselves), attorneys appearing before the Court, witnesses, jurors and prospective jurors, and members of the public attending a court proceeding.

Types of Accommodations Available

The Court can arrange a variety of accommodations, including sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, wheelchair-accessible courtroom seating, and other assistance related to accessing the courthouse or a proceeding.

Persons who use a personal medical device (such as a glucose monitor or other electronic medical equipment) and need to bring it into the courthouse should request an accommodation in advance. Approved electronic devices are subject to security screening and, in most cases, must be kept in airplane mode while inside the courthouse.

The Court does not provide devices that are personal or individually prescribed, such as wheelchairs, walkers, or hearing aids, or services of a personal nature such as the pushing of wheelchairs.

How To Request

Submit your request as early as possible, and no later than five business days before your proceeding. The Court will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests submitted on shorter notice.

Your request should include your name and contact information, the case name and docket number (if applicable), the date, time, and location of the proceeding, and a description of the accommodation you need.

To submit a request, contact the Disability Access and Accommodations Coordinator:

Confidentiality

Medical information submitted to the Disability Access and Accommodations Coordinator with an accommodation request is kept confidential and maintained separately from the public case record.

Requests That Require Judicial Approval

Some requests affect the conduct of a proceeding itself and must be approved by the presiding judge. These include requests for additional time or breaks during proceedings, receiving all communications in writing, modifications to courtroom procedure, and similar adjustments to how a proceeding is conducted. The Disability Access Coordinator cannot consider this type of relief.

To request such an accommodation, file a motion or application with the Clerk’s Office. Pro se litigants may contact the Pro Se Intake Unit at (212) 805-0175 or visit nysd.uscourts.gov/prose for guidance on filing.

Physical Access

• The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse has accessible access at the main security pavilion entrance at 200 Worth Street.
• The Thurgood Marshall Courthouse at 40 Foley Square has accessible access at the Pearl Street entrance between Centre St. and Park Row.
• The front entrance of the Hon. Charles L. Brieant Jr. Federal Building and Courthouse is equipped with ramps on both sides of the main staircase for accessible access.
• Each public restroom contains at least one oversized, accessible stall with grab bars. Single-user restrooms satisfy this standard in their entirety.

Statement of Website Accessibility:

The Southern District of New York is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and in doing so adhere to many of the available standards and guidelines. Thank you for your patience and for your suggestions as we continue to move forward in this direction with features such as closed captioning and tab navigation.
The Southern District of New York does not discriminate on the basis of religion, age, race, color, national origin, gender, marital or parental status, or disability.
In order to further our commitment to nondiscrimination, we are working to ensure our site conforms to level Double-A World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. Such guidelines detail best practices for ensuring assistive technology users can access the site. The guidelines also make the site more user friendly for all people.

Should you find information or functionality which is inaccessible, please contact:

District Executive's Office
(212) 805-0500
Accommodation@nysd.uscourts.gov.

We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate.