In March 2021, CREEC and the Civil Rights Clinic at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law represented Disability Law Colorado in filing a lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Corrections. The lawsuit alleges that CDOC violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by (among other things) failing to provide sign language interpreters for medical appointments, classes, and other significant interactions; failing to provide equal access to notifications and alarms; and failing to provide and maintain hearing aids.
This lawsuit is the result of a two-year investigation spearheaded by student attorneys at the CRC who reviewed thousands of pages of documents and conducted over 120 interviews, first in person and later – after the pandemic made in-person visits impossible – by video conference technology. CREEC paralegal Kyle Neumann, who is Deaf and bi-lingual in English and ASL, also conducted many ASL interviews with Deaf incarcerated people.