The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule August 9 regarding accessibility regulations for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities.
The final rule revises Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and establishes requirements, including the adoption of specific technical standards, for making medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) accessible. The rule applies to public hospitals and public college/university health systems operated by state or local governments and will become effective October 8.
MDE includes examination tables, examination chairs (including chairs used for eye examinations or procedures and dental examinations or procedures), weight scales, mammography equipment, x-ray machines, and other diagnostic imaging equipment, the DOJ noted.
In response, the American College of Radiology (ACR) issued a statement noting that the rule makes previous standards established by the U.S. Access Board enforceable.
“Importantly, DOJ’s rule does not obligate changes that would be a fundamental alteration or cause undue financial and administrative burdens. It likewise did not implement the Access Board’s 2024 reductions to low transfer heights in the MDE standards, as these revisions were still in process during the DOJ rulemaking,” the ACR noted.
