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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Barriers to Accessible Healthcare, Health Programs, and Section 504 Access</b></span></h1>
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The National Federation of the Blind needs to hear from you about your access to healthcare, health programs, and other services covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.</div>
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We are looking for short, first-person accounts that describe:</div>
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A hospital, clinic, insurer, pharmacy, health program, or other HHS-funded service you need to use</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 8px;">
Barriers you encountered, such as inaccessible patient portals, forms, test results, appointment systems, insurance information, kiosks, or mobile apps</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 8px;">
How those barriers affected your health care, independence, privacy, ability to make decisions, or access to services for yourself or your family</li></ul>
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These stories will help show how delays in enforcing Section 504 accessibility requirements affect blind people and other people with disabilities in real life. We may use them in declarations, advocacy materials, public communications, and legal efforts related
to health care access and digital accessibility.</div>
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For background, a new HHS rule published in 2024 was intended to provide clearer protections, including requirements for accessible websites and mobile applications used by hospitals, clinics, insurers, and other entities that receive HHS funding. However,
the Department of Health and Human Services has now delayed key digital accessibility compliance dates through an interim final rule. These delays have real effects on blind people and others with disabilities who need equal access to healthcare information,
patient portals, forms, scheduling systems, and other essential services. The National Federation of the Blind is working to oppose this delay, and your personal story can help make the case.</div>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>How to participate:</b></span></h2>
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Use one of the following options:</div>
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Submit your story in writing to story@nfb.org</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
Leave a voicemail at 410-659-9314, extension 2444</li></ul>
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If you\u2019ve been affected, please add your voice. Your experience helps show why timely, enforceable Section 504 protections and accessible health care systems matter.</div>
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Thank you for helping us push for equal access to health care, health information, and other essential services.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://nfb.org/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" id="OWA625037f9-7be6-08fb-ffeb-6774eb2277c7" class="OWAAutoLink"><u><img alt="National Federation of the Blind logo, Live the life you want tagline, nfb.org" id="image_0" width="298" height="133" style="width: 298px; height: 133px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1" src="cid:bb305ff4-fe61-4913-b090-939bb46dbf8a"></u></a></span></p>
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