As practice owners, employers, and clinicians, dentists are responsible for providing quality dental care that is accessible to everyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Several laws work together to protect dental patients from discrimination. The broadest of these laws is the Americans with Disabilities Act (AwDA), which applies to most government agencies and many private businesses, even if they do not receive federal funding. It requires buildings, services, and jobs to be accessible to people with disabilities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies only to organizations that receive federal funding and requires them to make their programs and activities accessible. Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act mainly applies to health care and expands protections by prohibiting discrimination not only based on disability, but also race, color, national origin, sex, and age. These laws all have implications for dentists both as employers and as relates to their patients.
