Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life—including healthcare.

• Title II applies to public healthcare providers (e.g., state hospitals, public clinics).

• Title III applies to private healthcare providers (e.g., private hospitals, doctors’ offices).

Key digital accessibility implications:

• Websites and digital services must be accessible to people with disabilities.

• While the ADA doesn’t specify technical standards, courts and the DOJ often reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the de facto benchmark.

• Noncompliance can lead to lawsuits, especially under Title III.

Example: A hospital website that lacks screen reader compatibility or doesn’t provide captioned videos may be in violation of the ADA.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

Section 508 is a federal law that mandates federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding (including many healthcare entities) to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible.

• Applies to Medicare/Medicaid providers, federally funded research institutions, and government contractors.

• Requires conformance with Revised 508 Standards, which are harmonized with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

• Covers websites, PDFs, software, kiosks, and internal systems.

Example: A federally funded health portal must ensure that all forms, documents, and navigation are accessible via keyboard and screen readers.