Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Catherine Leigh Graham, MEBME, Joshua R. Mann, MD, MPH, and Suzanne McDermott, PhD. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, 3209 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203, 803-434-3189, catherine.graham@palmettohealth.org

Purpose: To evaluate the accessibility of South Carolina medical offices for people with mobility or sensory impairments.

Methods: Medical office managers were contacted regarding their willingness to participate in an Americans with Disabilities (ADA) assessment. Each assessment consisted of a personal visit by a Rehabilitation Engineer in which key elements of accessibility, such as the availability and number of accessible parking spaces, the pathway of entry, availability of bathroom facilities, and elevators (when applicable) were measured. A detailed report was prepared for each office, with prioritized suggestions for ways to improve accessibility. Seed money was made available to help practices make needed improvements. Follow-up contacts were made to determine whether significant changes were made.

Results: 61 medical offices were assessed. Most offices were noted to have at least one significant barrier for patients with disabilities. Barriers were more common in older offices and in those where the building was leased. While office managers reacted well to suggestions, few actually made substantive changes, even with the availability of funds to help with renovations.

Conclusions: It appears difficult to convince medical practices to change their facilities to better accommodate patients with disabilities. Most personnel seemed satisfied that their facilities were accessible or felt constrained by the owner of the building, even when significant barriers were present. More research needs to be done on the factors that would help convince a medical practice to modify its facilities.

Learning Objectives: