References
1. Drum CE, Horner-Johnson W, Walsh
ES. Construction and validation of the
Outpatient Health Care Usability
Profile (OHCUP). Disabil Health J.
2012;5:292-297.
2. U.S. Architectural and Transportation
Barriers Compliance Board (Access
Board). Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines
for Buildings and Facilities. Available
at http://www.accessboard.gov/guidelines-andstandards/buildings-and-sites; 2010.
How to request an accessibility
assessment at your facility
To schedule an accessibility assessment at
your health care facility, contact the DPH
staff at:
Email:
Phone:
Web:
dph.iod@unh.edu
(603) 862-4320
www.iod.unh.edu/dph
The NH Disability & Public Health project
is funded by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(Grant: 1U59DD000954-01).
Accessibility
Assessments
for Health Care
Facilities
www.iod.unh.edu/dph
(603) 862-4320 | relay: 711
Available in alternative
formats on request.
Frequently Asked
Questions
New Hampshire Disability &
Public Health Project (DPH)
About the Assessment
DPH staff use the Outpatient Health Care Usability Profile (OHCUP) to measure the physical and
environmental features of health care facilities and their “usability” for people with disabilities.1
The instrument follows a patient’s path of travel to generate feedback about the accessibility of
key aspects of health facilities. Starting with parking and continuing through the exam room and
lab specimen collection restrooms, the assessment generates a four-part score: overall, mobility,
sensory, and cognitive.
Who completes the assessment and
how long does it take?
What are the benefits of
participating in an assessment?
Health care facility staff can proactively
consider ways to improve usability. In
doing so, participating sites take
measurable steps to ensure access to
health care, not only for those
individuals with disabilities, but also for
those with temporary impairments or
functional limitations due to aging or
injury.
The assessment’s focus on the path of
travel – from parking lot to exam room –
highlights usability features and helps
clinic managers to prioritize access
elements and urgent needs – including
those that may be readily and
inexpensively resolved.
Trained staff from the UNH Institute on
Disability perform the assessments, bringing
with them all of the needed tools. One or two
IOD staff members will be onsite for about
one hour.
Who uses the results of the
assessment?
Facility directors will receive the results in a
customized report that will include the health
care center’s scores, detailed information
about possible areas for improvement, a
summary of accessibility strengths, and
recommendations to help directors prioritize
any upgrades on their wish lists.
Will my facility have the chance to
demonstrate changes or improvements
we undertake following the initial
assessment?
Absolutely. Project staff will work with you to
schedule a one year follow-up assessment.
What does the customized
scoring report look like?
The report explains the facility’s overall
usability for a person with disabilities by
considering three elements of an
outpatient health care visit: arrival, public
facilities, and exam and primary care
settings. The report discusses
accessibility for people with specific types
of disabilities, including mobility,
sensory, and cognitive impairments.
Recommendations will be highlighted,
and technical assistance will be available
from DPH project staff.
Are there legal implications for not
being in compliance with the ADA
guidelines?
Facilities are required to comply with
ADA Guidelines when it is “readily
achievable to do so.”2 The OHCUP
assessment helps to clarify not only which
aspects may be in need of improvement,
but also which among them are readily
achievable.