Additional Resources
Working with people with disabilities:
- Accommodating people who with low vision or blindness
- Accommodating people with auditory processing disorder
- Accommodating people with Autism
- Accommodating people with a head injury (TBI)
- Accommodating people with a learning disability
- Accommodating people with an intellectual disability
- Accommodating people with a psychiatric disability
Technology available for people with disabilities:
- Accommodating people who are hard of hearing but not deaf using the Assisted Listening Device
- Providing closed captioning via TEAMS video hearings as an accommodation
Additional information for suitable representative candidates:
What is a Suitable Representative (SR)?
A Suitable Representative (SR) is an accommodation unique to the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Specifically, a SR is when a person is the approved accommodation for a person with disabilities.
Each year, the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) receives over 55,000 hearing requests. Most individuals, including those with disabilities, represent themselves. Our proceedings are informal. RCW 34.12.010
However, when a person has disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is unable to meaningfully participate in the administrative hearing process, it may be necessary to appoint a SR to assist the person with disabilities. A SR helps the party navigate through the hearing process.
Interested in Becoming a SR? Follow these steps:
- Complete the Suitable Representative Training
- Click the link to begin the training. Suitable Representative Training.
- The training includes interactive activities and concludes with a test.
- It takes approximately 2–3 hours to complete.
- Submit the Suitable Representative Training Completion Attestation
- Submit Your Application
- Fill out and submit the Suitable Representative Training application.
- Ensure the application is signed, dated, and includes your contact information.
- The application will automatically be sent to the ADA Coordinator.
The ADA Coordinator will contact you to explain:
- How OAH reaches out to SRs when there’s an eligible party, and
- Answer any questions you may have about the process.