Federal Board Seeks Comments on Proposed Accessibility Standards for Medical Equipment
A federal agency is seeking public comments on a series of draft standards aimed at making medical diagnostic equipment more accessible to people with disabilities.
The United States Access Board, which promotes accessible design of products, says it released the proposed document to "improve the quality of healthcare for individuals with disabilities, and ensure that they receive examinations, diagnostic procedures, and other healthcare services equal to those received by individuals without disabilities. The standards will facilitate independent transfers by individuals with disabilities onto and off of diagnostic equipment, and enable them to maintain their independence, confidence, and dignity."
The standards, available for comment until June 8, address access to products such as:
- Examination tables and chairs
- Weight scales
- Mammography equipment
The board says in the draft document that it consulted AAMI's comprehensive human factors standard, HE75, to create technical and design criteria for use by manufacturers.
The document, Proposed Accessibility Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment, doesn't impose any mandatory requirements on healthcare providers or manufacturers. However, an agency such as the U.S. Department of Justice could compel a hospital or healthcare facility to acquire equipment that conforms to the standards, according to the board.
"Medical device manufacturers may have an economic incentive to produce accessible products that conform to the standards for healthcare providers who need to acquire accessible medical diagnostic equipment," the board says.
Once the comment period closes, the board says it will create a panel of stakeholders to review the remarks and recommend how the standards should be finalized. The board is also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
To read the draft standards, click here. To purchase a copy of HE75, click here.