As an autistic and dyslexic patient, communication accessibility matters greatly to me. For several years, my wife assisted me with scheduling appointments at Memorial Eye Associates without issue due to my disability-related communication limitations.
Recently, she was suddenly refused the ability to schedule an appointment for me because she was “not on HIPAA.” She was not requesting medical information — only trying to schedule an appointment. I then contacted the office directly and explained my autism, dyslexia, and auditory processing difficulties, including that phone communication can be difficult for me.
During the call, I experienced interruptions, was placed on hold with music continuing while staff attempted to speak, and struggled to process what was being said. Despite clearly communicating my disability-related barriers, the situation was not effectively accommodated.
I also found the management interactions unprofessional, dismissive, and at times unnecessarily confrontational. I left the conversations feeling that concerns were minimized rather than genuinely understood or addressed. Some explanations given to me about “HIPAA policy” later appeared inconsistent with what administration acknowledged afterward, which only added to the frustration and confusion.
I later spoke with administration (Allen Boxbaum) which showed where it all starts, who acknowledged uncertainty regarding the policy and stated they would review the matter internally. While I appreciate the follow-up apology and response from administration, the experience itself left me feeling unsupported as a disabled patient seeking basic access to care.
I hope this leads to better ADA awareness, communication accommodations, and staff training moving forward so other patients with disabilities do not experience similar barriers.
