Medical Diagnostic Equipment

The Access Board is developing access standards for medical diagnostic equipment, including examination tables and chairs, weight scales, radiological equipment, and mammography equipment under the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”  The standards address independent access to, and use of, such equipment by people with disabilities to the maximum extent possible.  The Board proposed standards for public comment and has chartered an advisory committee to assist in its review of the comments received.

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Advisory Committee

• Notice Establishing Advisory Committee
• Members of the Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee
• Advisory Committee Meeting Notice (October 15)
• Preliminary Meeting Agenda (October 29 & 30)
• Committee Charter
• Committee Procedures

Proposed Standards

• Proposed Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment     PDF Version
  • Docket and Public Comments (Regulations.gov)
• Example Applications of the Proposed Standards     PDF Version
• Press Release
• About the Proposed Standards     PDF Version
• Regulatory Assessment     PDF Version

Background

• Section 510 of the Rehabilitation Act (answers to common questions)
• Press Release
• Public Information Meeting (July 29, 2010)
  • Agenda
  • Transcript

Other Resources

• ANSI/AAMI HE75 Standard (2009) Human factors engineering – Design of medical devices, Chapter 16 – Accessibility considerations (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation)
  • Note:  The Board will review those portions of the ANSI/AAMI HE75 standard that address patient access to medical diagnostic equipment since Federal agencies are required by the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act to use voluntary consensus standards instead of unique government standards where practical.
• Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities (Department of Justice)
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Equipment and Furniture (Department of Justice)
• The Barrier Free Healthcare Initiative

Contact Information

For further information on this rulemaking, contact Earlene Sesker: