[blindlaw] Access to PACER

[Elizabeth Akinola]

My take is that if everyone who uses PACER has to pay a fee to use the site, 
blind users should not be granted a waiver unless they have to do something 
extra to have the same kind of access that everyone  else has to the 
information on the site.

If you are a blind attorney  needing to do legal research, you should have 
been trained in law  school to use Lexis  and/or Westlaw.  Lay people use 
findlaw all the time--or even google; you just need to type in a couple  of 
phrases on the subject of your  research and something is bound to come up!

If you can't do findlaw or google, maybe visit the  law library or the 
courthouse and ask for assistance  from the reference librarian or court 
clerk.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zuhair Mahd" <zuhairmahd at accesstojobs.com>
To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 6:44 PM
Subject: [blindlaw] Access to PACER


>
>
> Hi,
>
>
>
> I am filing a law suit against the federal government pro se, and am
> therefore involved in a lot of legal research.  You can read more about it
> here <http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_118094508.html> , and 
> you
> can watch the video here
> <http://www.accesstojobs.com/blog/video/news4lb.wmv>  if you like.
>
>
>
> I am sure you're aware of PACER
> <http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/cmecf/dc/civil/response/01_welcome.html> ,
> the federal government's web site allowing access to cases in federal
> courts.  Pacer charges $0.08 for each document you search for, whether you
> actually download it or not.
>
>
>
> As you are no doubt aware, a sighted person can view court records in 
> paper
> format in law libraries and at the court house.  This is not practical for 
> a
> blind person, since he/she has to hire a reader, and thus be subject to 
> the
> time and efficiency restrictions associated with that.  Also, the 
> government
> is obligated through the ADA to provide equal access to documents 
> regardless
> of a disability.  Therefore my questions are as follows:
>
>
>
> 1. Can a blind/visually impaired person apply for a waver of PACER
> fees, since that would be the only way he/she would access that 
> information?
>
>
>
> 2. Has that ever been a subject of discussion amongst blind lawyers,
> those who are on their own or belonging to advocacy organizations?
>
>
>
> Are there any accessible free alternatives to PACER?
>
>
>
> 3. Is there such thing as an efficient research methodology for a blind
> person which takes advantage of electronic resources, and is this as
> effective as conventional legal research methods?
>
>
>
> Thanks and all the best.
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
> <skype:zuhairmahd?call> My status
> Get Skype <http://www.skype.com/go/download>  and call me for free.
>
>
>
>
> Zuhair T. Mahd
>
>
>
> Z.M Consulting
>
>
> Tel: +1-720-240-4803
>
> Fax: +1-928-493-5762
>
>
> zuhair at accesstojobs.com
>
> http://www.accesstojobs.com <http://www.accesstojobs.com/>
>
>
>
>


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