The Americans with Disabilities Act

As it Applies to Persons with Visual Impairments

ADA INFORMATION RESOURCES

 

U.S. Dept. of Justice ADA Website            www.ADA.gov/

ADA Information Line                              800-514-0301 (Voice)

 

Title III: http://www.ada.gov/t3hilght.htm

• Businesses (including all health care providers) that provide goods or services to the public are called “public accommodations”

 

• Health care providers must modify their policies and procedures when necessary to serve customers with disabilities and take steps to communicate effectively with customers with disabilities.
  • Assistance with filling out paper work
  • Provide materials in large print, Braille, or other accessible format
    • Admission information
    • Doctor’s orders, discharge plan
    • Information on community resources from home health agencies
    • Prescription information
    • Test procedures

 

Internet Resources:

• ADA Accessibility Requirements

www.adaag.com/ada-accessibility-guidelines/index.php

• ADA and Health Care

www.pacer.org/publications/adaqa/health.asp

• ADA and People with Visual Impairments

www.ada.gov/effective-comm.htm

• ADA and Deaf and Hearing Impaired

www.ada.gov/hospcombr.htm

 

Tax Credit and Deduction

http://www.ada.gov/taxcred.htm

• To assist small businesses to comply with the ADA, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code includes a Disabled Access Credit (Section 44) for businesses with 30 or fewer full-time employees or with total revenues of $1 million or less in the previous tax year.
• Eligible expenses may include the cost of making material available in accessible formats such as Braille, audiotape, or large print and sign language interpreters

 

 

After a patient with a visual impairment leaves their doctor’s office or is discharged from a health care facility and is unable to read the doctor’s orders or discharge plans, how can they be expected to follow the doctor’s orders, improve health outcomes and avoid rehospitalization?

 

Reasonable Accommodation Requirements

 

Doctor’s Office

• Provide assistance with filling out paperwork
• Doctor’s orders, test procedure instructions, prescription information, etc should be provided in large print or other accessible format
• Examination areas need to be wheelchair accessible
• Efforts must be made to communicate with hearing impaired patients

 

Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities

• Brochures that describe the facility’s services and admission information must be available in an alternate format.
• Clear paths of travel on each floor are necessary.
• Menus should be read to patients with visual disabilities.
• Examination areas and labs must be accessible.
• Are discharge plans written in large print or other accessible format?
  • How can we expect patients to follow discharge plans if they cannot read and understand them?

 

Note: Assisted Living Facilities must also provide printed materials in alternate format

 

Home Health Care

• When a home health care patient is given a stack of papers that are difficult to read, how are they expected to improve health outcomes and prevent rehospitalization?
• Admission booklets and important information on community resources and agency policies need to be available in an accessible format so the patient can refer to them as needed

 

Staff should receive training on the requirements of the ADA and other disability rights laws and working effectively with people with disabilities

 

 

For information on staff training, disability rights laws or to arrange an appointment to review your policies and procedures contact Robert Goodman at 954.806.7321 or rgoodlobby@aol.com.

 

Visit our website at www.americanswithdisabilitiesact.net