The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week finalized a rule under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, advancing equity and bolstering protections for people with disabilities. BVA was among a number of organizations openly supporting the additional protections, which address discrimination in medical treatment, add enforceable standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment, and ensure accessible web content and mobile applications. 

The rule strengthens the protections afforded by Section 504, already considered a landmark civil rights law. Its finalization, comprehensive in scope, reflects a now much different era from that of 1973 in the area of equality.

“This is truly a milestone victory for disability communities,” said BVA Executive Director Don Overton. “We overwhelmingly support this Final Rule for all it means to our blind and low vision veterans who must never experience discrimination due to their disability in any program or activity receiving funding from HHS.”

For a detailed explanation of HHS’s finalization of the rule strengthening protections against disability discrimination, please refer to a HHS news release dated May 1 located here.