July 9, 2025- As of October 8, 2024, new regulations from the U.S. Access Board require medical diagnostic equipment (MDE), including wheelchair scales, meet specific technical standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These new standards include specialized features that ensure the product is easily accessible and designed to keep patients safe, according to CME Corp.
Though these new MDE requirements are important and valuable for the disabled community, they do present a challenge for healthcare facilities. Providers must ensure they have ADA compliant wheelchair scales and that they can adequately and safely weigh wheelchair-bound patients. Non-compliant equipment not only creates a barrier for patients but also puts facilities at risk of ADA violations, which can result in fines or lawsuits.
To be considered compliant under the Medical Diagnostic Equipment (MDE) Standards, a wheelchair scale must meet several technical criteria: platform width, platform depth, platform edge protection, ramp running slope, and ramp edge protection.
Continue Reading from CME Corp. here.