Access Denied: Accessibility and the Law of Telehealth for People with Disabilities

Article Abstract:The Covid-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the delivery of healthcare using technology known as telehealth.   While this created a surge in the use of telehealth generally from what it had been prior to the pandemic, current existing research on the use of telehealth by people with disabilities paints its own picture of telehealth use for this population.  This leads one to question, what is the reason for these differences and what, if any changes, need to be made from a legal standpoint, to ensure that people with disabilities have access to telehealth.  As telehealth continues to be utilized as a healthcare delivery option moving past the pandemic, the inability of the disabled to access telehealth may lead to worsening already existing healthcare disparities for this population.  This article takes a novel approach to this by including discussions with healthcare providers using telehealth with people with disabilities.About Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine:Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine (cite as: Health Matrix) is a premier journal of legal scholarship focusing on the intersection of law, ethics, medicine, and policy. Founded in 1991, Health Matrix is a student-run journal at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Its editors work closely with faculty advisors who are preeminent in the fields of health law and bioethics. U.S. News & World Report ranks Case Western Reserve University School of Law as having one of the top 10 health law programs, and Health Matrix consistently rates as one of the top student-edited law reviews focusing on health law.Health Matrix includes articles written by influential scholars as well as student notes written with faculty guidance.