Center on Disability

Join us for our second 2026 Lunch and Learn Webinar of the year: Effective Communication under the ADA: A Deeper Dive.

Presenters Pat Swartz and Savannah Bradley, of the Pacific ADA Center, discuss effective communication requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how people with disabilities can request the communication supports they need.

Topics include:
• Requesting specific types of American Sign Language interpreters
• Alternative formats and communication aids for people with vision disabilities
• Communication modifications for people with speech disabilities, including extra time for appointments

Register: https://www.adapacific.org/event/lunch-and-learn-webinar-series-effective-communication/

Two surveys. One goal: improving breast health care for women with disabilities.

The Center on Disability and CAMI Health are seeking input from:
• Women with disabilities and chronic health conditions
• Health care providers, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants

These surveys focus on breast cancer screening, risk assessment, accessibility, and communication between patients and providers.

Your experiences and perspectives will help improve provider education and patient-centered care.

Take the surveys here:

Community: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Community-Survey-Breast-Health-Risk-Assessment

Providers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Provider-Survey-Breast-Health-Risk-Assessment

Please participate and help spread the word, surveys close on July 31, 2026.

New accessibility requirements for medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) are going into effect this summer, impacting health care providers that participate in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and other federally funded programs.

These updates apply to public hospitals, clinics, college and university health systems, and many private practices that receive government funding. The new standards focus on making medical diagnostic equipment such as exam tables, exam chairs, weight scales, and X-ray machines more accessible for people with disabilities.

Under the new requirements, health care facilities must meet minimum accessibility standards for equipment, including ensuring a percentage of exam tables and scales are accessible.

Compliance deadlines begin July 8, 2026, with additional requirements for government entities taking effect August 9, 2026.

These changes reflect a broader effort to improve access to health care and ensure people with disabilities can receive care with dignity, safety, and equal access.

Learn more about the changes from our new fact sheet: https://www.adapacific.org/documents/healthcare-provider-requirements-for-accessible-medical-diagnostic-equipment-mde/

Calling physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants!

The Center on Disability and CAMI Health, both programs of the Public Health Institute, are conducting a survey to better understand breast health risk assessment and screening practices among clinicians in the United States.

Your feedback will help guide the development of educational resources and quality improvement tools for health care providers.

Participation information:
• Voluntary participation
• Anonymous, de-identified responses
• No personal identifiers collected
• Approximately 10 minutes to complete
• Participants may skip questions or stop participation at any time

Eligible participants:
• Physicians
• Registered nurses
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants practicing in the United States

Please participate and help share this opportunity across clinical and professional networks.

The survey closes on July 31, 2026.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Provider-Survey-Breast-Health-Risk-Assessment

At the Center on Disability, we work year-round to advance the rights of people with disabilities.

Disability Pride Month is a chance to highlight the work we do every day, supporting education, access, and full participation in society.

Our mission is simple: help build a world where people with disabilities can live, learn, work, and thrive without barriers.

Learn more about our programs here: https://centerondisability.org/programs-grants/

Photo by Disabled and Here

Survey deadline extended until July 31, 2026! Please take our survey and share with your networks!

We want to hear from women with disabilities about breast cancer screening experiences.

The Center on Disability and CAMI Health, both programs of the Public Health Institute, are inviting women with disabilities and health conditions to complete a short survey about breast cancer risk, screenings such as mammograms, and communication with health care providers.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, though some participants may need additional time or support.

Your experiences can help:
• Improve accessibility in breast cancer care
• Identify gaps in provider knowledge
• Support better training for health care providers
• Improve patient-centered care for women with disabilities

Who can participate?
• People born female
• Ages 18–74
• People with disabilities or chronic health conditions

Disabilities and health conditions may include:
• Intellectual or cognitive disabilities
• Developmental disabilities
• Hearing disabilities
• Visual disabilities
• Physical or mobility disabilities
• Psychiatric or mental health disabilities
• Acquired disabilities
• Chronic health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, arthritis, immune disorders, and more

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Community-Survey-Breast-Health-Risk-Assessment

Please share this opportunity with your networks and communities.

The survey closes on July 31, 2026.

Independence Day should be more than a celebration. It should be a commitment to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all.

Our offices are closed today, July 3, 2026 in honor of Independence Day, we will re-open on Monday July 6, 2026.

This Disability Pride Month, take time to listen to and learn from disabled voices.

As disability rights advocate and author Alice Wong writes:

"Disabled people have always existed, whether the word disability is used or not. To me, disability is not a monolith, nor is it a clear-cut binary of disabled and nondisabled. Disability is mutable and ever-evolving. Disability is both apparent and nonapparent.

Disability is pain, struggle, brilliance, abundance, and joy. Disability is sociopolitical, cultural, and biological. Being visible and claiming a disabled identity brings risks as much as it brings pride."

This reflection reminds us that disability cannot be reduced to a single experience. Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the disability community, elevate disabled perspectives, and continue building a more accessible world where every person belongs.

Survey deadline extended until July 31st!

We want to hear from clinicians about breast cancer screening practices!

Physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants practicing in the United States are invited to complete a short, anonymous survey.

The survey takes about 10 minutes and will help improve training and patient-centered breast health care practices.

Please share with colleagues and networks. The survey closes on July 31, 2026.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Provider-Survey-Breast-Health-Risk-Assessment

July is Disability Pride Month!

Every July, we celebrate Disability Pride Month by recognizing the history, culture, contributions, and achievements of people with disabilities.

This year's Disability Pride Month theme, "The World Works Better With Us," highlights a simple but powerful truth: when people with disabilities are included, respected, and supported, our communities become stronger and more accessible for everyone.

The colors on the Disability Pride flag are intentional and have meaning, and each stripe represents a different category of disability.

The faded black background of the flag represents mourning and rage of victims of ableist violence and abuse.

The red stripe represents physical disabilities.

The gold stripe represents neurodiversity.

The white stripe represents invisible disabilities and disabilities that haven't yet been diagnosed.

The blue stripe represents emotional and psychiatric disabilities.

The green stripe represents sensory disabilities.