ADA 30th Anniversary: Bringing Attention to Health Equity for People with Disabilities

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is sharing messages and materials on supporting equal opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities.

On July 26, 1990 the ADA was enacted to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life (work, school, employment, transportation). As one of our priority populations, CMS OMH is focused on ensuring that people with disabilities have access to quality health care services and information.

Recognizing the 30^th anniversary of the ADA is part of our strategy to foster innovation by providing tools and resources to empower patients. Join us in recognizing this observance and use this anniversary to bring attention to health equity for people with disabilities.

Resources for Consumers and Patients

Download From Coverage to Care COVID-19 Resources to learn how to protect yourself during COVID-19, including information about health services typically covered under Medicare and Marketplace plans, as well as tips for getting the care you need at home.
Download and share Getting the Care You Need: A Guide for People with Disabilities to help people with disabilities understand their rights around accessing medical services. The guide includes a checklist to help you get the care you need before, during, and after your appointment. It is also available in Spanish, with more languages coming soon . To request a physical copy in Braille, please contact CMS OMH at healthequityTA@cms.hhs.gov.
Visit the Medicare.gov “I have a disability” page to find and share information about Medicare plans, benefits, and protections for people with disabilities.
Watch and share our video Navigating Health Care with a Disability: Our Stories, a Focus on People with Disabilities - Hear testimonials from people with disabilities where they describe their experience accessing health care.
Visit https://acl.gov/ada for more about the 30^th Anniversary of the ADA

Resources for Health Care Professionals

Watch and share our video Navigating Health Care with a Disability: Our Stories, a Focus on the Provider - Learn how health care organizations and providers can improve accessibility and care for people with disabilities.
View our How Does Disability Affect Access to Health Care for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries? data highlight. This information builds on prior research by focusing on both definitions of disability. It examines access and utilization among adult Medicaid beneficiaries who are not dually eligible for Medicare and who reported difficulty accessing needed health care by comparing the experiences of beneficiaries who self-reported having a disability to those who were eligible for Medicaid on the basis of a disability, and to those beneficiaries who did not have a disability.
Find information on how to increase physical accessibility of medical services, tools to assess a practice or facility’s accessibility, and more. The Modernizing Health Care to Improve Physical Accessibility: Resources Inventory includes tips and training materials to support efforts to reduce barriers and improve quality of care for these individuals.
Explore The CMS Equity Plan for Improving Quality in Medicare to learn about CMS’s results-driven approach for advancing health equity for minority and other underserved Medicare beneficiaries. Specifically, Priorities 5 and 6 focus on improving communication for persons with disabilities and improving physical accessibility of health care facilities.
Complete the Medicare and Other Programs for People with Disabilities training module to help health care professionals and other audiences better understand Medicare and other programs for people with disabilities.
Read the Increasing the Physical Accessibility of Health Care Facilities issue brief to learn why physical accessibility of health care facilities is important for people with disabilities.
Use the ADA National Network’s ADA Toolkit to find ways to highlight the ADA anniversary, including a list of ideas, media kit, and monthly themes for year-round recognition.