DOJ claims Maine is out of compliance with ADA

Federal lawsuit alleges state has failed to provide equal access to justice for people with disabilities

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine, alleging that the state has failed to provide equal access to justice for people with disabilities. The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine on Tuesday, alleges that the state has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide adequate accommodations for people with disabilities in its court system.

Specific allegations in the lawsuit include:

• The state has failed to provide sign language interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in court proceedings.
• The state has failed to provide closed captioning for video recordings of court proceedings.
• The state has failed to provide assistive listening devices for people with hearing impairments.
• The state has failed to provide accessible websites and other electronic resources for people with disabilities.

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the state to take steps to comply with the ADA. These steps include providing sign language interpreters, closed captioning, assistive listening devices, and accessible websites and other electronic resources. The lawsuit also seeks compensatory damages for individuals who have been denied equal access to justice.

The ADA is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, housing, public accommodations, transportation, and other areas. The ADA requires public entities, including state courts, to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.

The DOJ has filed a number of lawsuits against states in recent years for failing to comply with the ADA. In 2022 alone, the DOJ filed lawsuits against the states of Arizona, Georgia, and Mississippi for failing to provide equal access to justice for people with disabilities.