The Critical Role of Web Accessibility in Health Information Access, Understanding, and Use

Older adults and people with disabilities cannot equitably access the same health information and care as people without disabilities when hospital websites are not accessible. As stated in the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) policy statement on individual access to care, challenges such as these must be addressed, especially as more people rely on technology to interact with the health care system.

This issue brief:

• Brings visibility to the recently issued Guidance on Web Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act, by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and Guidance on Nondiscrimination in Telehealth, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights
• Describes findings from two research projects funded by AHIMA Foundation, the philanthropic and consumer-focused arm of AHIMA, on the crucial role of web accessibility in people’s ability to access, understand, and use their health information
• Gives hospitals and health care systems across the U.S. a starting place to improve entry through their digital front doors at a time when many are prioritizing initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, environmental, social, and corporate governance, and cost-of-care transparency