An accommodation is an alternative to the default mode of doing something that reduces or eliminates barriers that impede the ability to a person with a disability to access a public space or service on the same terms as a person without a disability. An accommodation thus “levels the playing field” for individuals with disabilities.
From a human perspective, we do not want to exclude people. From a legal perspective, the ADA prohibits discrimination or exclusion on the basis of disability, while in the context of court or administrative proceedings, everyone has a constitutional right to due process. The failure to provide an accommodation so that an individual is able to meaningful participate is tantamount to a violation of due process.