Presence of Accessible Equipment and Interior Elements in Primary Care Offices

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the disability accessibility level of primary care office interiors and the presence of accessible examination equipment. Methods: Data from on-site audits of 3993 primary care offices in California for 2013-2016 are descriptively analyzed. Architectural access is assessed using an instrument based on ADA Accessibility guidelines (ADAAG), along with noting accessibility of examination equipment. Results: Compliance across architectural elements was ∼85%. Accessible examination tables and scales were observed in 19.1% and 10.9% of offices, respectively. Conclusions: Proactive accessibility auditing makes visible the infrequent presence of accessible examination equipment. It offers data for tracking progress to increase medical office disability access.