New York law expands court access for the hearing impaired.

The new law, which became effective Sept. 25, 2015, gives the courts authority, at the request of a person (party, witness, juror, or prospective juror) who is deaf or hard of hearing, to "provide an assistive listening device, a stenographer who can furnish communication access real-time translation or any other appropriate auxiliary aid or service."

For individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to assure accessibility to the courts, the New York State Court System's Accessibility page offers information about making accommodation requests and a list of Americans with Disabilities Act liaisons for each county. Information about the range of court interpretation services is available on the Court System's Language Access and Court Interpreters page.