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HEALTHCARE
COVERAGE

quirements and what makes up “reasonable accommodation” for pa-
tients. It is good practice to create written policies and procedures that
include topics such as scheduling appointments (with attention to pa-
tients needs such as accessible examination tables); service animals;
providing interpreters; and making the office space as accessible as pos-
sible. Training resources can be found on the ADA National Network
website at https://adata.org/ada-training.

Does my website or patient portal need to be ADA
accessible?
Yes. ADA requirements apply to all goods, services, privileges, or ac-
tivities offered by a business, including those offered on the web. Cur-
rently, there are no detailed standards enforced by the Department of
Justice, and businesses are allowed to choose how they will ensure the
accessibility of their online services.

For guidance, please see the following resources, used by the
federal government for its own websites:
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/
• Section 508 Standards at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/
• See also the ADA guidance on web accessibility at
https://beta.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/.

How can I get more help understanding and interpreting
ADA rules?
The Department of Justice operates a toll-free ADA Information
Line to provide information and materials to the public about the re-
quirements of the ADA. ADA Specialists assist callers in understand-
ing how the ADA applies to their situation, are available on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Calls are confidential.

To get answers to technical questions, obtain general ADA informa-
tion, order free ADA materials, or ask about filing a complaint, call
800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY).

Sara Bergmanson is a Digital Marketing and Brand Strategist at
TMLT. She can be reached at sara-bergmanson@tmlt.org

Tanya Babitch is an Assistant Vice President of Risk Management at
TMLT. She can be reached at sara-bergmanson@tmlt.org

Robin Desrocher, BSN, RN, Director and Risk Manager at TMLT.
He can be reached at robin-desrocher@tmlt.org

Reprinted with permission from Texas Medical Liability Trust.

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