<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16945" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType
name="PlaceName"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="PlaceType"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="State"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="City"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="place"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="PersonName"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><!--[if !mso]>
<STYLE>st1\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url(#default#ieooui)
}
</STYLE>
<![endif]-->
<STYLE>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</STYLE>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></HEAD>
<BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=ebridges@acb.org href="mailto:ebridges@acb.org">Eric Bridges</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=leadership@acb.org
href="mailto:leadership@acb.org">leadership@acb.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=announce@acb.org
href="mailto:announce@acb.org">announce@acb.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 11, 2009 4:42 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [leadership] New Initiative Examines Accessibility of
Health CareSystem</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For the past few months, ACB members
and representatives from the national office have been meeting on a regular
basis with the Equal Rights Center (ERC) in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Washington</st1:State></st1:place> to discuss a wide array of access
issues. While the below article profiles physical accessibility issues for
individuals with mobility disabilities in the Washington DC area, the ERC wants
to hear from the blind and visually impaired community nationally. We have
spoken about the lack of accessible prescription drug labels, the loss of
privacy that occurs when having to dictate private information to medical staff
in order to complete forms, and the lack of brochures and other publications in
alternate formats that describe the illness or other disease you may be
diagnosed with. Please feel free to contact ERC with these or other concerns you
have with the inaccessibility of our health system.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Best Regards,
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Eric <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The ERC was founded in 1983 as the
Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington. In 1999, the FHC merged with
the Fair Employment Council of Greater Washington and changed its name to the
ERC. Finally, in 2005 the Disability Rights Council merged with the
ERC.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">New Initiative Examines Accessibility
of Health Care System</SPAN></FONT></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In response to complaints about inaccessible medical
services and equipment, the Equal Rights Center (ERC) has launched a new
initiative aimed at eliminating this form of discrimination. The
initiative began after three ERC members who use wheelchairs called the ERC to
report denial of services, inaccessible tables, and inadequate lifting practices
at medical clinics in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“The inaccessibility of basic medical equipment, such as
examination tables, seriously compromises the quality of care individuals with
disabilities receive,” said ERC Executive Director, <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Don Kahl</st1:PersonName>. “Not providing equal preventative and
urgent care services to a large segment of our population is not only illegal
but also a disservice to our entire country.”
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">These complaints are not the first encountered by the
ERC in addressing accessibility barriers. In 2005 the ERC advocated for
accessible medical facilities and reached a settlement with <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Washington</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Hospital</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, which mandated that medical
facilities, such as examination rooms, examination tables and other medical
equipment be made accessible. The settlement also addressed inadequacies
in policies and procedures to ensure that patients with disabilities receive the
assistance they need to eat, drink, and otherwise care for
themselves.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“A health center should be a place of safe harbor for
all individuals,” said <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Jennifer
Wolfsheimer</st1:PersonName>, the ERC’s Disability Rights Manager. “Equal
treatment at health centers not only improves the wellbeing of the individuals
who visit, but also improves the lives of the entire community through a more
healthy and active citizenry.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In an effort to ensure people with disabilities do not
encounter similar forms of discrimination, the ERC has began an initiative to
educate people with disabilities about their rights and health care providers
about their responsibilities and, when necessary, advocacy and enforcement
directed at those who violate the laws protecting people with disabilities.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">If you or anyone you know has encountered accessibility
issues at a health facility or if you would like to get involved in this
initiative please contact <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Jennifer
Wolfsheimer</st1:PersonName> at 202-370-3210 or <A
href="mailto:jwolfsheimer@equalrightscenter.org">jwolfsheimer@equalrightscenter.org</A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>leadership mailing
list<BR>leadership@acb.org<BR>http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/leadership<BR>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P><BR>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG -
www.avg.com <BR>Version: 8.5.426 / Virus Database: 270.14.103/2558 - Release
Date: 12/11/09 10:06:00<BR></BODY></HTML>