Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Americans with Disabilities Act (Title II) Policy

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which provides that “no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity”.  42 U.S.C.A. Section 12132.  Pursuant to that requirement, if you are an individual with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in any judicial proceeding or any other service, program, or activity of the UJS, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance.  The ADA does not require the Bucks County Courts to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

Request Accommodations

If you require an accommodation under the ADA, it is recommended that you make your request as soon as possible or at least 3 business days before your scheduled participation in any court proceeding or UJS program or activity.  All requests for accommodation, regardless of timeliness, will be given due consideration and if necessary, may require an interactive process between the requestor and the Bucks County Court System to determine the best course of action.

To request a reasonable accommodation, please complete the Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form (PDF) and return it to:
Kelly Fallon, Court ADA Coordinator
Office of Court Administration
2nd Floor
100 N Main Street
Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901
Phone: 215-348-6700
Fax:  215-348-6503

If you need assistance completing this form, contact the ADA Coordinator. Complaints alleging violations of Title II under the ADA may be filed pursuant to the UJS Grievance Procedure with Kelly Fallon, Court ADA Coordinator.  A response will be sent to you after careful review of the facts.

Americans with Disabilities (Title II) Act Grievance Procedure 

This grievance procedure is established for the prompt resolution of complaints alleging any violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the provision of services, programs, or activities by the Unified Judicial System (UJS).  If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this form, or need this form in an alternate format, please contact Kelly Fallon, Court ADA Coordinator.

File a Complaint

To file a complaint under the Grievance Procedure please take the following steps:

  1. Complete the Complaint Form and return to Kelly Fallon, Court ADA Coordinator, Court Administration, 2nd Floor, 100 North Main Street, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901.  Alternative means of filing complaints will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.  The complaint should be submitted as soon as possible but no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the alleged violation. 
  2. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of the complaint, the ADA Coordinator (or designated individual) will investigate the complaint, including, meeting with the individual seeking an accommodation, either in person or via telephone, to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions.  Within fifteen (15) calendar days of the meeting, the ADA Coordinator (or designated individual) will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio.  The response will explain the position of the Bucks County Courts and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint. 
  3. If the response to the complaint does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to Stephen G. Heckman, Court Administrator. Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Court Administrator (or designated individual) will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions.  Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, Mr. Heckman (or designated individual) will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

This grievance procedure is informal. An individual’s participation in this informal process is completely voluntary.  Use of this grievance procedure is not a prerequisite to and does not preclude a complainant from pursuing other remedies available under law.

The UJS Policy on Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity also encompasses disability-related issues and provides complaint procedures for UJS court users.  Any employment-related disability discrimination complaints will be governed by the UJS Policy on Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity.