Nash Hospitals
A blind patient sued a North Carolina hospital and won.
A blind patient at Nash Hospitals in North Carolina couldn't access basic medical communications — bills, records, appointment confirmations — because they were sent in inaccessible formats. The patient sued in 2022. The hospital settled (terms private).
This was part of a broader NFB campaign targeting North Carolina hospital systems for digital accessibility failures, alongside the UNC Health case. The takeaway for any healthcare provider: blind patients have the right to read their own medical information. "We sent it to you" isn't enough if you can't read what was sent.
Court
Federal court (specific district not confirmed in public sources)
Case
Blind Patient v. Nash Hospitals, Inc.
Not confirmed in public sources
Outcome
settled
What went wrong on the site
Each visual below shows what visitors with disabilities actually experienced.
medical-records-2024.pdf
Scanned image, no text layer
Screen reader announces: "Document, 12 pages."
Required communications were available only in inaccessible formats — no Braille, large print, or screen-reader-readable digital alternative.
WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content
Sources & documentation
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NFB and Disability Rights NC won a $125,000 settlement against UNC Health (2022) for systematically denying blind patients accessible medical records, billing, and forms; a 2023 federal injunction then required a system-wide overhaul of patient communications.
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