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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:<br>
July 26,
2016
Emalie Gainey (AGO)<br>
(617) 727-2543<br>
Chris Danielsen (NFB)<br>
(410) 262-1281<br>
<br>
<div align="center">AG HEALEY and national federation of the blind
ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO MAKE HEALTH CARE KIOSKS ACCESSIBLE TO BLIND
CONSUMERS <br>
</b><i>Announcement Marks 26<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of <b>Americans
with Disabilities Act</b> <br>
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<b>BOSTON –</b> On the 26<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the passage of the
<b>Americans with Disabilities Act </b>(ADA), Attorney General Maura
Healey and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) announced a
first-of-its-kind agreement with Pursuant Health, Inc. to make its
self-service health care kiosks accessible to blind consumers. <br>
<b> <br>
</b>The agreement reached with Pursuant Health, an Atlanta-based company
that manufactures and operates thousands of self-service health care
kiosks in retail stores nationwide, provides meaningful benefits to
individuals nationwide who are blind or who have low vision, including
27,000 Massachusetts residents who are legally blind. <br>
<br>
“Technology should be used to improve people’s lives, not create
barriers,” said AG Healey. “We must take steps to ensure that all
Massachusetts residents have equal access to health care services, and
that technology is accessible to consumers with disabilities. We are
pleased to have worked with the NFB and Pursuant Health to make these
kiosks accessible.”<br>
<br>
Pursuant Health’s kiosks offer important biometric health screenings,
including vision assessments, blood pressure screening, weight and BMI
assessments, and pain management advice. Health risks and recommendations
for further testing or treatment are displayed on the kiosk or sent to
the consumer via email. Until now, however, blind consumers have not been
able to use the kiosks effectively. <br>
<br>
“Living the lives we want as blind people includes monitoring our own
health so that we can take steps to maintain or improve it,” said Mark A.
Riccobono, President of the NFB. “Health information has the potential to
be more accessible than ever to the blind with twenty-first-century
technology, but only if the manufacturers of technology keep
accessibility in mind. We are delighted to have reached this agreement
with Pursuant Health, working with the outstanding civil rights advocates
in Attorney General Healey’s office, and believe that it will result in
health information kiosks that set an industry-leading example.”<br>
<br>
According to the terms of the agreement, Pursuant Health will implement a
detailed project plan to make their kiosks and website accessible to
consumers who are blind or visually impaired. The kiosks will be made
accessible over time and will be reformatted to provide audio
instructions and easily locatable “hot spots” on the kiosk screens to
help blind consumers navigate the system. Pursuant Health will also offer
membership options to make it easier for blind consumers to activate the
kiosks and track their individual health assessments.<br>
<br>
Finally, Pursuant Health will make payments totaling $95,000 to the AG’s
Office and the NFB, which will be used to further improve access and
opportunity for individuals with disabilities. <br>
<br>
“Massachusetts Commission for the Blind applauds the efforts of Attorney
General Healey for negotiating a settlement that takes one more important
step closer to providing equal access to technology and health care,”
said MCB Commissioner Paul Saner. <br>
<br>
The agreement is the most recent result of collaboration between the AG’s
Office and the NFB. Past collaborations have included making
<a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2013/2013-01-30-monster-agreement.html">
Monster.com’s website</a>,
<a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2008/ag-and-national-federation-of-the-blind-reach.html">
Apple’s iTunes services</a> and
<a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2014/2014-11-24-cardtonics-settlement.html">
Cardtronics ATMs</a> fully and equally accessible to blind
consumers.<br>
<br>
State
and federal laws not only prohibit disparate treatment of individuals
with disabilities in employment and housing, but also require that all
businesses operating places of public accommodation provide people with
disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, and
facilities.<br>
<br>
Continuing her efforts to protect the civil rights of all Massachusetts
residents,
<a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2015/2015-07-22-disability-committee.html">
AG Healey formed</a> a Disability Rights Advisory Committee in July 2015.
The Committee is comprised of advocates and experts who meet on a regular
basis to consult with and advise AG Healey and her staff on matters
pertaining to inclusion, access, and equality for individuals with
disabilities. Please click
<a href="http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/civilrights/ada-anniversary.pdf">
here</a> for more information on AG Healey’s disability rights work since
taking office.<br>
This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Genevieve C.
Nadeau, Chief of AG Healey’s Civil Rights Division on behalf of the
Commonwealth, and by Daniel F. Goldstein of the Baltimore firm Brown,
Goldstein & Levy, LLP on behalf of the NFB. <br>
<br>
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