36 Years of the ADA: What It Means for Your Practice

This Sunday, July 26, marks the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act — a milestone worth noting, especially because several new compliance deadlines affecting physician practices have either just passed or are right around the corner.

Under Title III of the ADA, medical offices and hospitals are classified as “public accommodations,” which means your practice is legally required to provide care that is equally accessible to patients with disabilities. Here’s what that means in practice.

Accessible Medical Equipment

New federal rules from HHS and the Department of Justice set enforceable standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment (MDE), including exam tables and weight scales. For practices receiving HHS funding, the deadline to have at least one accessible exam table and one accessible weight scale was July 8, 2026. Public entities have until August 9, 2026. Additionally, any MDE purchased, leased, or acquired after July 8, 2024 must already meet accessibility standards. If your practice hasn’t addressed this, it should be an immediate priority.

Physical Accessibility

Practices are required to remove architectural barriers where doing so is “readily achievable” — meaning easily accomplished without significant difficulty or expense. That includes things like installing ramps, widening doorways, adding grab bars, and ensuring accessible parking. The ADA’s guidance on mobility access in medical settings is a useful reference for identifying gaps in your facility.

Communication Accessibility

For patients who are hearing impaired, appropriate accommodations may include qualified interpreters, assistive listening devices, note takers, and written materials. The ADA does not require modifications that would fundamentally alter your services or impose an undue burden — though what qualifies as an “undue burden” is determined case by case, and at least one court has sided with a patient over interpreter access in a primary care setting.

Your Website and Patient Portal

ADA requirements apply to all goods, services, and activities offered by a practice, including those offered online. If patients can’t book appointments, complete forms, or access their records because of a disability, that’s a barrier to care — and a potential liability. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the standard reference for evaluating digital accessibility.

Leased Offices

Both landlord and tenant carry ADA responsibility. Typically, the tenant is responsible for the space they use and control — the exam room, reception area — while the landlord is responsible for common areas like the parking lot and building entrance. Review your lease to understand where the lines are drawn.

The ADA’s core promise is straightforward: patients with disabilities deserve the same quality of care as everyone else. Thirty-six years in, that standard is only becoming more specific and more enforceable. Use this anniversary as a prompt to review where your practice stands.

For a full breakdown of your obligations, visit ADA.gov and the ADA National Network.