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GAO Report Examines Health Care Accessibility Barriers
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report examining barriers that people with disabilities face when accessing health care.
The report, Health Care Accessibility: Further Efforts Needed to Address Barriers for People with Disabilities (GAO-26-107120), identifies persistent challenges across medical settings, equipment, technology, communication, and provider training. Examples include diagnostic equipment that requires standing, overstimulating waiting rooms, inaccessible telehealth platforms, and limited disability-related training for health care providers.
GAO also found gaps in federal data collection and oversight. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services does not collect national-level data on many accessibility barriers experienced by people with disabilities, limiting the ability to identify barriers and evaluate the impact of federal accessibility requirements. Health care organizations may also be unaware of updated accessibility regulations issued in 2024.
The report includes five recommendations for HHS, including developing plans to collect national-level data from people with disabilities, strengthening oversight and transparency, and providing clearer guidance to health care organizations on accessibility responsibilities.
GAO also published an Easy Read companion report to make the findings more accessible, particularly for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
