[NFBofSC] L & A Committee Seeking Personal Experiences: Resolution 2021-01

[elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com]

Good afternoon all,

 

Anna and I hope this message finds you well.

 

During the March meeting of the NFB of SC Legislative and advocacy
Committee, we reviewed the 2021 resolutions in order to identify actions
that need to be taken in order to address the concerns brought up at last
year's state convention. The first of these four resolutions refers to
inaccessibility regarding medical records; please see the text of the
resolution here:

Resolution 2021-01

Regarding Access to Electronic Health Records
WHEREAS, electronic health records are becoming more prevalent in our daily
lives; and
WHEREAS, these records are not always accessible by blind South Carolinians;
and
WHEREAS, Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and under Titles II
and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, electronic medical records
must already be accessible yet many health care providers in South Carolina
still maintain electronic platforms which are not accessible to the blind
and low vision;
WHEREAS, lack of accessibility to electronic health records places the
health, independence and right to privacy of the blind at risk; and
WHEREAS, it is essential that blind South Carolinians have full
accessibility to electronic health records in order to establish
independence and improve their health, well-being and overall quality of
life and maintain their right to privacy; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina in
convention assembled this twenty second day of August, 2021, that this
organization call upon the South Carolina State Legislature to amend the
Physicians' Patient Records Act to require medical providers to adopt
policies that ensure electronic health records platforms are fully
accessible to blind individuals.

 

In order for our committee the most effectively address the issues
identified by this resolution, we need any individual who has encountered
inaccessibility regarding medical records to reach out so that we can more
accurately identify the problem. If you feel comfortable, we invite and
encourage you to reach out to me via email at elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com
so that we can discuss your experiences.

 

If anyone has questions, we also invite you to reach out via email and/or
attend our next committee call, taking place on Wednesday, April 6 at 8 PM.

 

With gratitude,

Elizabeth

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