Having a disability should not be a barrier to receiving high-quality health care. At Duke, we work hard to provide equal access for all people and offer a range of free accessibility services to patients and visitors who need them. Among other services, we have accessible parking and transportation, assistive technologies, Braille and large-print materials, and more.
We provide accommodations to patients and visitors with the full range of disabilities, which include but are not limited to:
We also offer services for people with short stature, obesity, and other physical differences that can make navigating health care challenging.
Transportation and Parking
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we provide accessible parking at all of our clinics and hospitals. Accessible buses and vans are available for all routes served by Duke Transit in Durham. The Duke Campus Map provides details about building entrances, parking, pedestrian routes, and more. For other locations, regional and city buses are public transportation options available to you. Google Maps can give you directions to the closest bus stop near each clinic.
Service Animals
Service animals -- dogs or miniature horses that have been specifically trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability -- are allowed to accompany patients and visitors in patient rooms and anywhere in the hospital where the public is allowed. For patient safety and infection prevention, service animals may be prohibited in some ares. These include operating rooms, intensive care units, and areas where the animal cannot be protected, such as radiation therapy clinics. Therapy, emotional support, and companion animals are not service animals but may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. For more information, email christina.d.kline@duke.edu.
Services for Low Vision, Blind, Deaf, or Hard of Hearing Patients
Duke provides the following free services:
Accessible Medical Equipment
Many of our health care locations provide medical equipment designed for people with disabilities including:
Web Accessibility
Duke believes web content should be accessible to people with a wide range of abilities including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological. We endeavor to make dukehealth.org universally accessible and compatible with assistive technologies.
Wheelchairs and assistance are available at Duke University Hospital and at three locations on Duke Medicine Circle: Duke Clinic, Duke Cancer Center, and Duke Medical Pavilion. Valets at the entrance of each building can help locate a wheelchair for your use.
You can request patient transportation assistance inside each building at the information desk near the entry of each site. There may be a wait for assistance at peak times.
At the entrance of Brier Creek Medical Pavilion and the South Durham Health Center, a concierge can provide wheelchairs for patient use.
If you have questions or encounter problems, call 919-668-4273 or email tony.galiani@duke.edu.