Recent ADA Updates

Over the past 6 months, the federal government has published three new regulations that impact people with disabilities in healthcare settings.

In April and July of this year the Department of Justice released the final regulations for Title 2 of the ADA that outlines accessibility of websites/mobile content and the accessibility of medical diagnostic equipment.

In May of 2024 the HHS Office of Civil Rights also published new regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that clarifies how Section 504 applies to healthcare settings.

New Regulation	Summary	Deadline
Website and mobile content accessibility	All web content must be accessible to people with disabilities (i.e. including pictures with alt text and using colors with appropriate contrast, etc.)	April 2026 (population 50,000+) April 2027 (population less than 50,000)
Medical diagnostic equipment accessibility	Specific requirements for making sure medical diagnostic equipment is accessible to all	August 2026
Updates to Section 504	Updated definitions and sections to clarify Section 504 and make more consistent with the ADA	Effective immediately

Upcoming Training

Five Easy Tips for Social Media Accessibility

Presenter: Mindy Johnson

Tuesday, October 8 from 1:30 - 2:30pm

Social media is here to stay. For better or for worse, it's how we share information and resources, connect with family and friends at a distance, find community around favorite topics or areas of interest, and, for some, socialize with a broader community without having to leave home.

But what if you can't hear or understand the conversations? What if you can't see the images and videos being shared? What if you can't access the content in these digital communities? The good news is that you have the power to make your social media posts more accessible to everyone, especially those with disabilities and those who use assistive technologies.

In this session, you'll learn five easy tips for making your posts more accessible, you'll have an opportunity to try out these tips for yourself, and you'll discover how these tips apply across social media platforms.

ADA Highlight - Inclusion in Programs

The ADA says that public places must include people with disabilities in the same programs and activities as everyone else.

It does not say if special programs just for people with disabilities are needed or not. But if a public place does offer a special program, people with disabilities should be able to choose whether they want to join that special program or the regular one.

Video thumbnail showing a person holding their cane for visual impairments.

Video about public health inclusion of people with disabilities.

People with disabilities need to meet the same basic requirements, like age, income, or education, to join public programs or services, as everyone else. The ADA does not give them special treatment or exceptions. However, public places can’t make rules that unfairly keep people with disabilities out unless those rules are really necessary for the program or service.

For example, if a secure government building required people to show a driver's license to verify their identity before entering, that would exclude people who are not able to hold a driver's license due to a disability. A general state-issued ID should also be accepted as identity verification.

Another example is if a recreation program required participants to pass a swimming safety test before they would be cleared to go on a white water rafting trip. This rule may exclude people with disabilities, but the rule is necessary for the safety of participants in the program.

There are two important exceptions to these guidelines:

The ADA allows (and may require) different treatment for people with disabilities if that treatment is necessary for them to participate in civic activities (such as voting or serving in a public office).
The ADA does not require that programs are fundamentally changed in order to include people with disabilities. There are some programs, activities, or services that are simply not possible to include people with disabilities without completely changing them (beach volleyball, for example).

Contribute to Enhancing ADA Compliance Training!

Are you a healthcare professional with a commitment to accessibility? We’re seeking your insights to evaluate our ADA compliance training materials as part of a crucial research study. Join our 2-hour focus group and help improve public health departments across Utah. Your input could make a real difference!

PARTICIPATE

For more information, contact:

Elle at Rebecca.Smith@usu.edu or

Dr. Chen at Chen.Chen@usu.edu.

This study has been approved by the USU IRB, Protocol #14360.

We want to hear from you!

Working on some great accessibility options at your local health department?

Have specific ADA questions you would like to learn more about?

Reply to this email, and let us know!

(435) 797-1981