[blindLaw] Accommodations When Visiting a Law Library Open to the Public

[Aimee Harwood]

Hi Everyone,

Im resending this email as I need to do a good bit of legal research very soon. I have requested assistance from this list  for the below concerns. I expect difficulties at the location I must utilize to conduct this research. Can you guys please read and advise on the below information. I want to be fully prepared to respond appropriately when I face the expected resistance for accommodations. If there are additional details needed to effectively answer my questions, I will be glad to provide for clarification. I really do need your assistance and most certainly appreciate any thoughts and or suggestions.

I have a few questions about (1) access at law libraries open to the public, (2) possible accommodations, and (3) if denied accommodations filing an OCR complaint that possibly includes prior issues I experienced there as a student. 

(1) Has anybody had experience visiting a law library and receiving  accommodations  to permit them to do independant legal research? I need to visit a law library to do some legal research. The closest one is the school I attended and had so much problems with regarding accommodations. Before I go, I would like to know my rights for accessing content at the library as a member of the public. 

(2) What accommodations can I  request? Can I request a computer with JAWS and access to lexis and westlaw?  I have sent them info on Aira since I was dismissed hoping they would utilize it if they ever had another blind student in the future. Could I ask for them to provide Aira access? I do not have a paid Aira subscription and cannot afford one at the moment. So that  avenue will only be helpful if they are a site access. 

(3) If I do not get any of the assistance you recommend, can I file an OCR complaint for this incident? Is it possible to relate it back to the issues I had as a student?  

I greatly appreciate any and all advice in this matter as I have been very hesitent to do the research but it really needs to be done. Most everything was a fight with them. I have been very apprehensive to approach them with this request. 

Aimee

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