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By Patricia Yeager, Ph.D, CEO, The Independence Center CIL
Since its passage 29 years ago today, the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) has helped the United States become a healthier and
more inclusive nation by increasing access and equality for our largest
minority group: people with disabilities.
The purpose of this landmark civil rights legislation is to
integrate people with disabilities in all aspects of American society. It
prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and ensures full and
equal access to transportation, employment, schools, telecommunications,
and all places that are open to the public, including health care services
and facilities.
In many ways the ADA generation — young adults who do not know
life prior to the ADA — have rights, opportunities and a quality-of-life
that older generations of advocates only dreamed of. From accessible
transportation, parking spots, and universally accessible buildings, to
increased communications access (including closed-captioning becoming a
part of everyday life) and integrated classrooms, the ADA has opened the
gates of access and equality to young and old Americans alike. Yet, much
remains to be accomplished to realize the ADA’s vision of full inclusion.
Despite achieving greater life expectancy than other
generations, many people with disabilities still do not have adequate
access to quality health care, including preventative health care. LINK
It is well documented that compared to people without disabilities, people
with disabilities face disparities across the board in receipt of
preventative care, have more difficulty finding doctors and securing
appointments, and have greater general unmet needs.
A series of studies and surveys have
found that the share of primary care and specialty offices which have
accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE), weight scales, examination
tables, and diagnostic imaging equipment used for medical diagnosis and
treatment purposes, is inadequate relative to the need and demand.
Recognizing the profound impact the inaccessibility of health
care can have on the well-being and quality of life of people with
disabilities, ACL — in partnership with other federal agencies,
researchers, providers, and advocates — has embarked on an initiative to
improve the accessibility and quality of primary, specialty, and
preventative health care for people with disabilities:
- In 2017, the U.S. Access
Board finalized voluntary
standards for accessible medical diagnostic
equipment;
- The ADA National Network
has identified health care accessibility as a priority issue and has
developed resources,
including a webinar series to assist health care providers in meeting
ADA requirements;
- The National Council on
Disability has released reports
and publications on the state of health care for people
with disabilities in the United States and has advocated for medical
school curricula to become more inclusive of the needs of people with
disabilities;
- In January 2019, the
Centene Corporation was awarded the 2019 CMS
Equity Award for its ongoing commitment to provide equal
access to quality healthcare and services through an initiative to
increase the accessibility of provider medical offices and services
for people with disabilities, in partnership with the National
Council on Independent Living (NCIL).
- Higher numbers of people
with disabilities are flipping the script and becoming health care
providers themselves.
- Today, ACL is releasing an issue brief and business case
explaining to providers why it is good business to invest in accessible
Medical Diagnostic Equipment. This new resource is being shared with
ACL’s partners across the federal government.
In the spirit of the ADA, we acknowledge the foundations laid
by those who preceded us, welcome the strides we have made in recent years,
and commit to continuing the vital work of promoting equality and access in
the sphere of health care delivery and beyond.
Patricia Yeager, Ph.D, is CEO of The
Independence Center, a center for independent
living based in Colorado Springs, Colorado which is a leader in
advocating for “disability-friendly” health care.
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