Disability Law and Legal Services

The following resources are available for anyone interested in learning about disability law, legal supports or additional information related to the justice system.

• How to file an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• PA Health Law Project – Free legal services

• What to Expect from Free Legal Services

• The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook

• Special Needs Alliance- Disability Law

• JUDICIAL CODE (42 PA.C.S.) – PROCEDURES TO PROTECT VICTIMS AND WITNESSES WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES OR AUTISM, Act of Jun. 28, 2019

• Office of Civil Rights

• FAQs about service animals and the ADA

• Locating a docket sheet

• Docket sheet terms and abbreviations

Pennsylvania Initiatives

The following resources are available for anyone interested in learning about Pennsylvania’s initiatives specific to intellectual disabilities, autism and the justice system.  

• PA Judiciary Piloting ‘Data Based’ Program Aimed at Quickly Identifying Children with Autism in the Court System

• The Autism and the Courts Initiative : A Chronicle of the Pennsylvania Court System’s First in Nation Quest to Create Access, Equity, and Just Outcomes for those on the Autism Spectrum

• Autism and the Criminal Justice System: Policy Opportunities and Challenges

Request Justice Training and Resources

• Request autism specific training from the Office of Developmental Programs’ Bureau of Support for Autism and Special Populations

• Request autism specific justice training from ODP’s Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training (ASERT)  Collaborative

• Request Juvenile Justice Training from the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission

• Request trauma training from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Gather, Assess, Integrate, Network, and Stimulate (GAINS) Center