Department of Justice Adopts Access Board’s Minimum Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment

On August 9, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule on the accessibility of medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This final rule establishes standards for MDE used by state and local government entities that are consistent with the standards issued by the Access Board on January 9, 2017. The rule adopts a 17 to 19-inch low transfer height for MDE used in the supine, prone, side-lying, and the seated position, although DOJ indicated a willingness to consider future rulemaking in light of the Access Board’s adoption of its final rule on July 25, which set a low transfer height of 17 inches.

The DOJ rule also establishes scoping provisions that specify the number of each type of MDE that must be provided at any facility where public entities provide services, programs, or activities that utilize MDE and requires that accessible MDE be dispersed throughout facilities with different departments. The Access Board was not given authority to establish scoping provisions as part of its technical standards. The requirements of the rule are virtually identical to those in a final rule issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

In September 2024, the Access Board will host a training on its MDE final rule. Visit our MDE landing page to learn more about the background of the final rule. For more information on the final rule from DOJ, read their fact sheet.

The Access Board provides free technical assistance on its accessibility guidelines and standards through its helpline at 1-202-272-0080, extension 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET) weekdays. For technical assistance specifically on the accessibility of medical diagnostic equipment, please email mde@access-board.gov. Additional technical assistance resources on the MDE final rule are in development.