Rep. Ayanna Pressley Pushes For More Access To Diagnostic Equipment For Disabled People

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) is calling for advancements to efforts to improve health care access for disabled people in the U.S.

In a letter obtained by HuffPost that was sent to the Department of Justice on Thursday, Pressley urged the department to quickly finalize its proposed rule to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for disabled people. MDE includes weight scales, examination tables, dental chairs, radiology devices and other equipment that can be used to diagnose a patient.

Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in places of public accommodation, such as medical offices, and grants disabled people equal opportunity to access the services offered. But much of the equipment in these spaces is inaccessible to disabled people because there are no specific standards for what constitutes accessible MDE.

In January, the Justice Department proposed revisions to regulations implementing federal disability law that would establish these specific standards. The department opened the proposed revisions up for public comment until Feb. 12, but there have been no updates on finalization of the rule.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for updates on the rulemaking process.

The letter sent by Pressley, which was signed by 11 other members of Congress, also called for an increase in the percentage of each type of equipment that must comply with MDE standards in all facilities, a requirement for every department, clinic or specialty within a facility to have at least one piece of functional, accessible MDE on site and proper training for staff in assisting disabled people.

“While the proposed rule takes