Healthcare Resources

• Training for Frontline Staff to Collect Disability Status
• NEW! Documenting Disability Status in Electronic Health Records: A DEC Implementation Guide
  PDF | Web version

• Full Guide for Effective Communication in Healthcare (Hearing Loss Association of America: HLAA): for patients and providers

• Communication Access Plan (HLAA): One-page form to document patient’s hearing status and communication needs

• Effective Communications (U.S. DOJ): High-level overview for effective communication

• Communicating With and About People with Disabilities (CDC): Explains person-first language

• Disability Language and Etiquette in Healthcare Facilities (ADA Centers)

• Effective Communication for Healthcare Providers (Center for Disability Studies): Guide to caring for people with disabilities

• Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings (U.S. DOJ) Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), hospitals must provide effective means of communication for patients, family members, and hospital visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing. The method of communication and the services or aids the hospital must provide will vary depending upon the abilities of each person and on the complexity and nature of the communications that are required.

• Improving Care to Communication Vulnerable Patients (The Joint Commission): This presentation describes best practices to improve care for patients who have difficulty communicating.

• Patient Provider Communication Forum This forum seeks to achieve shared learning about patient-provider communication through various activities, including bi-monthly conference calls and an interactive website and social media accounts for sharing resources and tools.

• Section 508 and Web Accessibility Guidelines for how to ensure that your website meets the revised 508 standards for accessibility.

• Guidance and Resources for Electronic Information Technology (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services): Guide for developing accessible Electronic and Information Technology devices and systems.

• Accessibility features of Windows 10, Office 365, and other Microsoft products Description of Microsoft’s efforts to decrease the accessibility gap for people living with disabilities.

• Accessibility Overview of Microsoft Teams

• Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Teams

• Hot Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts for Zoom

Facilities

• Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities (U.S. DOJ): Guide for accessible medical equipment. This technical assistance publication provides guidance for medical care providers on the requirements of the ADA in medical settings with respect to people with mobility disabilities.

• Accessible Healthcare (ADA National Network): Suggested accommodations for patients with disabilities

• Guide to ADA Standards (U.S. Access Board): Chapters 3 and 4 highlight accessible spaces

• Wheelchairs, Mobility Aids, and other Power-Driven Mobility Spaces (U.S. DOJ): Overview of mobility accessibility

• ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities (ADA National Network): Detailed document which highlights standards for accessible facilities

• ADA Standards for Accessible Design (DOJ): The Department has assembled an official online version of the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design.

• Accessible Temporary Events (ADATA): A planning guide to making temporary events accessible for people with disabilities

• Increasing the Physical Accessibility of Health Care Facilities (CMS): This brief provides an overview of why physical accessibility of health care facilities is important for people with disabilities.

• Microsoft’s Accessible Events Tips:
  This guide provides Microsoft’s recommendation and best practices for
  planning and executing an inclusive event.

Equipment

• Medical Equipment (DREDF): Detailed responses to questions posed by amended regulations issued under ADA

• Advancing Equal Access to Diagnostic Services (U.S. Access Board): Recommendations on standards for the design of medical equipment

• Wheelchair-Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment (ACL): Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment Fact Sheet

• Northwest ADA Center Healthcare Info:
  This Healthcare Toolkit provides information for healthcare providers and for individuals with disabilities about accessible healthcare.

• Access to Medical Care for Patients with Mobility Disabilities (Department of Justice): Overview of the American Disabilities Act

• Access Board’s Standards for Accessible Medical Equipment: The Access Board issued accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) that provide design criteria for examination tables and chairs, weight scales, radiological and mammography equipment, and other diagnostic equipment that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Other organizations offer excellent resources for accessible healthcare. We encourage you to find other storehouses through the following organization’s web sites:

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Local Independent Living Center
• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
• ADA National Network
• Disability Rights Education Defense Fund
• National Council for Independent Living (NCIL)
• National Council for Disability (NCD)

• Healthcare Access for Persons with Disabilities (University of Kansas): Online training for healthcare providers

• Improving Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities (DREDF): Course consists of 5 modules; overview for HCOs

• Disability Integration Toolkit (SUNY Upstate Medical): Courses and curriculum for medical students and providers

• ADA National Network Fact Sheet on Health Care and ADA Requirements. Includes examples of reasonable modifications of policies, practices, and procedures.

• U.S. Department of Justice Barrier Free Health Care Initiative: Through the Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the nation and the Department’s Civil Rights Division target their enforcement efforts on individuals with disabilities to access to medical services and facilities.  This site lists the latest settlements and cases in healthcare.

• A Guide to Disability Rights Laws (ADA): An overview of ADA implications.

• Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

• Model Policies and Procedures for Primary Care Practices (DREDF): Guideline for accommodating seniors and patients with disabilities in primary care practices.

• A Roadmap for Hospitals (The Joint Commission): Guidelines for hospitals to provide care that meets each patient’s unique needs.

• Disability Access Plan Worksheet (HRSA): Worksheet that facilitates the development of a disability access plan

• Improving the Health of People with Disabilities: How to Meet your Legal Obligations and Make your Programs Accessible (HRSA)

• Health Care Accommodations for Patients with Disabilities: DEC Health Care Leaders and Documenting Disability Status Workgroups developed a list of a wide range of disability-related accommodations that can facilitate equitable access to high-quality care.

 

• AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit: Primary Care Resources for Adults on the Autism Spectrum and their Primary Care Providers

• Providing Disability Competent Care (Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing)

• Practical Recommendations for Enhancing the Care of Patients with Disability (SUNY Upstate Medical University): Learning modules for providing care for patients with disabilities

• Health Care and the ADA National Network Webinar Series: Archive of previous webinars that highlight a variety of different topics and speakers related to accessible healthcare for people with disabilities.

• An Integrated Model for Disability Competent Care (RIC): Toolkit for providing disability competent care for eligible medicare/medicaid patients

• The Disparities Solutions Center: The center is dedicated to the development and implementation of strategies that advance policy and practice to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

• Improving Access to Care for People with Disabilities (CMS)

• ADA National Network Learning Session: CMS Efforts to Increase Health Care Access and Quality of Care for People with Disabilities

Mobility

• Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities (U.S. DOJ): Guide for accessible medical equipment

• Wheelchairs, Mobility Aids, and Other Power-Driving Mobility Spaces (U.S. DOJ): Overview of mobility accessibility

Blind/Visual Impaired

• Training Materials to Assist Healthcare Workers When Interacting with People Who are Visually Impaired: American Foundation for the Blind

• About Guidance on Prescription Drug Container Labels (U.S. Access Board): Making prescription labels readable

• ADA Checklist: Healthcare Facilities and Service Providers (American Foundation for the Blind): Ensuring access to services and facilities for patients who are blind, blind-deaf, or visually impaired

Communication Disabilities

• Effective Communication: Healthcare (ADA Center): Effective communication with people with communication disabilities

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

• Tips for Employees who are Deaf: Resources for Deaf employees who work remotely.

• Guide with Strategies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees: Resources for deaf employees who participate in remote meetings.

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

• Healthcare for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Initiative)

• National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine (NCIDM): The goal of the NCIDM is to integrate IDD curriculum into every medical school in the United States.

• Health Matters program at UIC: The HealthMatters™ Program engages people with IDD and their supports to have access to research, education and training, service learning, and evaluation tools to improve their health where they live, work, learn, and play.

• Autism Friendly Initiative at BMC: The Autism Friendly Initiative (AFI) at Boston Medical Center is recognized as a national and international leader in improving the healthcare experience for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.

Service Animals

• Understanding How to Accommodate Service Animals in Healthcare Facilities (PHE): This fact sheet is intended to provide policy guidance when interacting with an individual using a service animal, with a particular emphasis on the health care setting during a disaster or emergency.

• ADATA Guide on Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Animals: This manual details the difference between service animals and emotional support animals, and where and when each is allowed.

• Health Disparity for People with Disabilities (DREDF): Guide explains disability and the disparities that people with disabilities face which makes healthcare inaccessible.

• The Current State of Healthcare of People with Disabilities (NCD): Report which outlines the general disparities that people with disabilities experience