Access to Health Care Settings

Updated 3/21/08 Back to Professional Resource Directory, Table of Contents

Access to Health Care Settings for People with Disabilities:

Access Board Federal agency committed to accessible design.

Access Board's ADA Disability Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Education Course, produced by American Institute of Architects and the Access Board. On-line course focuses on ADAAG supplements covering public sector facilities.

Access Group, Inc. specializes in changing and removing negative attitudinal barriers in interactions with people with disabilities. A unique learning system and training program delivered by persons with disabilities changes behaviors and provides results either through in-person training sessions or do-it-yourself activities. Access Group publishes Ramping Up for Profit$, a book designed to help business owners tap into the market of people with disabilities.

Access to Health Care by Women with Disabilities

Access to Medical Care: Adults with Physical Disabilities 22-minute video about mobility, vision, hearing and communication impairment in outpatient settings, introduces physicians, dentists, nurses, social service and support staff to crucial issues that affect the quality of care for patients with disabilities. Treating Adults with Physical Disabilities, the accompanying training curriculum offers a case-based learning exercise and extensive in-depth reference materials. It provides essential knowledge for appropriate provision of care and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The curriculum emphasizes access and communication as the fundamental components in addressing health care disparities for people with disabilities. Contact: Dr. Marsha Saxton, for more information, 510-251-4349. medaccessvideo@wid.org .

Active Living Research Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at San Diego State University, this project works to find creative approaches for re-integrating physical activity into American life. Rather than addressing obesity as an individual health problem, this new, transdisciplinary field of active living focuses on how the built environment — including neighborhoods, transportation systems, buildings, parks and open space — can promote more active lives.

ADA Home Page The U.S. Dept. of Justice enforces the ADA requirements in three areas -- Title I: Employment practices by units of State and local government"; Title II: Programs, services and activities of State and local government; and Title III: Public accommodations and commercial facilities (private businesses and non-profit service providers. The Department provides technical assistance to businesses, state and local governments, and individuals with responsibilities and rights under the law.

Disability Rights online News

ADA Technical Assistance Centers/Disability & Business Technical Assistance Centers. The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has established ten regional centers which provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. The centers act as a "one-stop" central, comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications.

ADA Basic Building Blocks, On-line, self-paced course introduces and explores the legal requirements and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Course is free, but there is a $50 fee if the student wants to earn one continuing education credit upon satisfactory completion.
At Your Service: Welcoming Customers with Disabilities Free, self-paced, on-line course designed to increase understanding of the needs and experiences of people with disabilities. Presents ways to adjust general customer service standards to meet the needs of customers with disabilities and how to develop basic etiquette for interacting with customers who have disabilities. Describes relevant ADA and Section 508 statutes.
Meeting the Challenge, Inc.: Rocky Mountain ADA Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center

ADA Existing Facilities Checklist on CD-ROM
The Vital Signs poster for doctors' offices or emergency rooms displays 24 signs related to health and medicine.

Service Animals Welcome is an informational poster on the use of service animals in public facilities. The two-sided poster comes in two sizes (9 ½ x 16” and 12”x 20”) and is appropriate for posting in any public place.

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Addresses issues of health care access and quality by enhancing support for clinicians who serve underserved populations; providing access to information relevant to clinical practice; providing opportunities for clinicians to interact and communicate with colleagues; promoting research to increase understanding of underserved practice; and increasing opportunities for relevant education and training on providing health care to underserved populations.

Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities Nationally recognized model in leadership and collaboration for increasing health services and accessibility for women with disabilities. BHAWD has developed several educational publications and tools that address increasing access to quality and appropriate breast-screening services for women with disabilities.

"Mammography for Women with Disabilities": Training for the Mammography Technologist. Earns 1.5 ASRT-approved CEU credits. Self-learning Module includes 1 DVD, accompanying booklet, and 1 post-test. Call 510-204-4866.

Center for Disability Issues in the Health Professions Western University of Health Sciences website offers products, courses and services, online resources, and news and announcements for health professions education, and to improve access for people with disabilities to health, health education and health care services. Resources include Aging with a Disability information and other tools for decreasing health care barriers.

The Pathway™ Series: Breast Care CD-ROM A training series from Western University of Health Sciences about providing preventative health care services for disabled women.

Center for Universal Design National research, information, and technical assistance center evaluates, develops, and promotes universal design in housing, public and commercial facilities, and related products.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Disability Health Team: Offers Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Care Facilities and Providers; Guidelines for Improving Access to Recreation and Fitness Facilities; Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Communication Venues; and Guidelines for Improving Access to Health Conferences and Informational Meetings.

Communicating with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings 4-page brochure from US Department of Justice.

Disability Sensitivity Training Free online course helps business leaders, employees and others learn how to interact comfortably with people who are disabled. The course is a joint effort by the Georgia Governor's Council for Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Disability Advocate Consulting Group, Inc., a private firm that conducts seminars for businesses.

Financing Health Care for Women with Disabilities This RAND Corporation paper describes the major financial issues affecting access to health care for women with disabilities and presents recommended strategies to address those issues.

Health Promotion Guide: Promoting the Health and Wellness of People with Disabilities This guide from the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health provides health educators, service providers, and program planners with a carefully selected collection of resources that address accessibility, communication, and topic-specific health promotion.

Health Resources & Services Administration, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities - Cultural Competence Web Site. One-stop shop for health care providers wishing to learn about HRSA's progress in improving culturally competent health care. User-friendly site highlights approximately 40 HRSA-supported projects on cross-cultural health care and profiles HRSA-funded activities and programs in areas such as assessment, culture and language, specific diseases, health professions, research, special populations, technical assistance, training, and Web-based learning.

Inclusive Fitness Coalition Led by the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability and the American College of Sports Medicine, this group of elected leaders, health and fitness professionals, researchers, and other advocates will address policy, environmental, and societal issues associated with the lack of access to physical activity among people with disabilities.

Learning about Intellectual Disabilities and Health Developed as a collaboration between the Down's Syndrome Association and the University of London, this site provides up-to-date information for busy health practitioners and students about the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities.

MammaCare Breast Self-examination Program for Women who are Blind or Visually Impaired Commercial site features a patented, tactually accurate model with a ribbon "necklace" to keep the model correctly positioned during training. Raised markers guide the woman while examining the model. The model contains small lumps that are virtually impossible to detect without training. The system includes an audiocassette and a descriptive video that teach proficient BSE through a series of carefully designed exercises, conducted first on the model and then on the woman herself. The kit also contains a large print booklet and Braille instructions.

Meeting the Challenge, Inc.: Region 8 Rocky Mountain Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center Provides information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible education-based information technology to residents of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming

National Association of Community Health Centers

National Institutes of Health -- National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

North Carolina Office on Disability and Health Publishes:

Office of Minority Health. Improves and protects the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities.

Project Civic Access U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: First Steps for Cities and Counties Toward Solving Common ADA Problems.

Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities Free web course explains how the ADA applies to businesses in ten short lessons.

Service Animals Brochure from US Department of Justice.

Starting Points: An Introduction to Creating Access for People with Disabilities in Community-based Organizations Helps identify where and how to begin making an organization's communications, facilities, program, technology and web site more accessible.

Universal Design Alliance is a non-profit corporation committed to creating awareness and expanding the knowledge of universal design for all ages, sizes, and abilities to designers, builders, and consumers through educational programs, services, and resources. Members include design professionals, students, businesses, and consumers who want to share and learn about universal design.

Universal Design and Visitability: from Accessibility to Zoning PDF file available for free down load through the support of The National Endowment for the Arts Universal Design Leadership Initiative; The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity; and the Ohio Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator’s Office.

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Living Well under the Big Sky is a partnership between the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and The University of Montana Rural Institute.

We are funded by The Disability and Health Team, National Center on Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities, and Disability and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information on Living Well Under the Big Sky, contact:

Meg Traci, Ph.D., Project Director
Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC: Rural)
The University of Montana Rural Institute: A Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services, 52 Corbin Hall, Missoula, MT 59812-7056
406-243-4956
matraci@ruralinstitute.umt.edu