The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in drive-up testing sites, with UW Medicine leading the way by opening the nation’s first COVID-19 drive-thru testing facility in March.
Drive-up sites are a crucial tool for preventing the spread of the coronavirus, and it’s important to ensure that they are accessible for all individuals, including people with disabilities.
To aid this effort, the Northwest ADA Center, housed within the Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation (CCER) in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, in coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Centers for Independent Living, emergency management personnel and state health authorities, created a new guidance sheet, Accessibility at Drive-Thru Medical Sites. The guidance sheet was adopted as a national product with the ADA National Network.
Recommendations include:
- Involving the disability community in planning the site.
- Training staff on disability etiquette.
- Providing an option for accommodation requests.
- Ensuring access for people who use wheelchairs.
- Understanding the right to service animals.
- Providing effective communication.
- Considering additional measures for greater accessibility.
Read the entire guidance sheet on the ADA’s website and learn more about UW Medicine’s drive-up testing.
