Comments due May 27.
The U.S. Access Board currently has an open comment period through May 27, 2022 regarding the appropriate low-height of medical diagnostic equipment with transfer surfaces, including examination tables and chairs and diagnostic imaging medical equipment with tables, so that the equipment can be adjusted to accommodate the broadest range of users. As indicated in the published notice , the Board continues to seek information on low transfer heights for adjustable medical diagnostic equipment products that are currently on the market and any changes or innovations in their design and engineering that may have occurred since the Board issued its medical diagnostic equipment accessibility standards.
In 2017, the Board published voluntary accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment. In these standards, the Board specified that the transfer surface of accessible diagnostic equipment used by patients in the supine, prone, side-lying, or seated position would have a specified high height of 25 inches, a low height of 17 to 19 inches, and 4 additional intermediate heights. The low-height provision was set as a range with a five-year sunset to allow the Board additional time to determine the appropriate low height dimension. The sunset period was recently extended, and the Board recently commissioned a statistical analysis to provide further insight into this issue. The study report is available on the Board's website.
Comments can be submitted via email to mde@access-board.gov through May 27, 2022. The Board encourages all interested parties to comment on this topic. For further information, contact Bobby Stinnette of the Board by email at stinnette@access-board.gov or by phone at 202-272-0021.
The Access Boardis an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, information and communication technology, and medical diagnostic equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and other laws. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design, and continues to enforce accessibility standards that apply to federally funded facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA).