Advocates tell Morristown council county courthouses are denying ADA accommodations; callers ask for audits

Multiple members of the public urged Morristown officials to press county and state authorities over what they described as repeated denials of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations at the county courthouse.

Alexandra Ricardi, a former Morristown resident, said she has a degenerative invisible disability and recounted four years of court proceedings in which, she said, "I have never once received a single ADA accommodation in that courthouse. Not one." She said repeated denials of accommodations have caused serious personal harm and asked the council to "bear witness," raise the matter with state and county elected officials and publicize the problem.

Isabella Reyes Alfano said she was denied entry as an ADA advocate trainee, described being left in a waiting room for two hours without updates, and called for "a formal audit and independent investigation into these due process violations in family and probate court."

Bill Burn and other commenters expressed support for the calls to act and warned that failures to comply with federal ADA requirements could jeopardize federal funding at some point. Council members said they were sympathetic but noted the town has limited jurisdiction over county courthouse operations and advised residents to bring complaints to Morris County commissioners and their state representatives.

What's next: Council members said they will "talk to who they can" at the county and state level and suggested complainants follow up with county commissioners and their assembly members to seek enforcement or investigations.