It is the Court's policy to remove accessibility-related barriers to court services by providing reasonable accommodations. The Court does not provide devices that are personal or individually prescribed, such as wheelchairs, prescription eye glasses, and hearing aids, or services of a personal nature, such as the pushing of wheelchairs.
ACCOMODATIONS AT ALL FEDERAL COURTHOUSES IN THE DISTRICT:
- All public restrooms are wheel chair accessible.
- There are no public telephones available.
- Smoke detectors and fire alarm systems are equipped with strobe lights.
- Public elevators provide access to all courthouse floors
- Elevator cabs are equipped with braille signage and emergency call features to accommodate those with seeing and hearing impairment.
PARKING:
No public parking is available at any of the federal courthouses in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This includes handicapped parking spaces. Most parking garages in the area surrounding the courthouses have handicapped parking spaces available to the public, and limited on-street, metered parking is available near the entrances to the courthouses in Johnstown and Erie.
All individuals seeking entrance to the federal courthouses in the Western District of Pennsylvania must pass through security screening which in most circumstances includes a metal detector. Individuals with pacemakers or cochlear implants may request screening via a hand-held wand upon presenting to the Court Security Officers.
HANDICAP ENTRANCES:
Pittsburgh
The Joseph F. Weiss, Jr. U.S. Courthouse is wheelchair-accessible via the ramp to the left of the Grant Street entrance, south lobby (nearest 7th Avenue). When at the door on the ramp, press the call button. A Court Security Officer will speak to the individual via the intercom and provide access to the building.
Erie
The Erie courthouse is wheelchair-accessible via the South Park Row entrance.
Johnstown
The Johnstown courthouse is wheelchair-accessible via the Washington Street entrance.
COMMUNICATION DISABILITIES:
The Intake desks at all Clerk's Office locations have a document magnifier available, upon request, to help visitors with visual impairments review documents.
If you are a party, prospective juror or witness and you believe you will require a CART (Communications Access Realtime Translation) or American Sign Language interpreter in the courtroom, please complete the Application for CART or Sign Language Interpreter and email it to the Communication Access Coordinator for the courthouse where the proceeding will be held.
If you have been called for jury duty and believe you might need additional amplification or other accommodations while in the jury office (such as special amplification or captions for viewing an orientation video), please contact the jury office where you will be reporting for jury duty.
QUESTIONS:
For any question not answered on this page, please contact the Court's Communication Access Coordinator .