Removing Barriers to Medical Devices for Users with Impairments

Accessing routine medical equipment is often difficult or impossible for many patients and providers with disabilities. We present a novel approach for conducting physical accessibility evaluations of some commonly used medical equipment, including an examination table, two dental chairs, two hospital beds, and two weight scales. Participants with various disabilities used each device while being recorded by three cameras; psychometric survey data were also collected to help us understand each participant's experiences. “Accessibility barrier” occurrences were documented using a novel task analysis method, and the results enabled us to illustrate key distinctions between accessibility and usability methodology. Using insights from the analysis, we provide suggestions to aid designers in improving the accessibility of commonly used medical equipment for users with disabilities.