Settlement Agreement Reached with Central Florida Pain Management to Improve Services to Patients with Communication Disabilities

Jacksonville, FL - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida has reached an agreement with Central Florida Pain Management (CFPM) to resolve allegations that the medical practice violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide auxiliary aids and services to a patient with communication disabilities. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

"ADA enforcement is a significant feature of our district's civil rights practice," said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. "This settlement sends a firm message to our communities that disabled persons will be protected from practices that violate this important body of federal statutes."

The U.S. Attorney's Office opened an investigation into CFPM after receiving a complaint from an individual who is legally blind ("Complainant"). The Complainant alleged that, on or about November 19, 2024, CFPM staff denied his request for assistance with completing medical history documentation on a digital tablet when he came for his new patient appointment. The Complainant alleged that, without this assistance, he could not complete the documentation before the appointment, which CFPM required him to do. Further, the Complainant alleged that because he was unable to complete the documentation, CFPM prohibited him from attending his new patient appointment, as scheduled, and required him to reschedule his appointment. As a result of CFPM's failure to provide auxiliary aids and services, the Complainant was denied the opportunity to access CFPM's health care services.

Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations, including professional offices of health care providers, to take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, CFPM must: adopt a written effective communication policy that specifies its office's obligations to provide auxiliary aids and services pursuant to Title III of the ADA; implement effective communication training for all employees regarding their obligations to provide auxiliary aids and services pursuant to Title III of the ADA; maintain a log documenting all requests CFPM receives for auxiliary aids and services, as well as how it handled those requests; report any complaints received alleging CFPM violated Title III of the ADA to the United States; and pay the Complainant $2,000 in compensatory damages.

Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran represented the United States in this case.

For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice's toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (833) 610-1264 (TTY). Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state or local governments. All calls are confidential.

Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida by calling our Civil Rights Hotline at (813) 274-6095 or emailing us at [email protected]. To fill out our civil rights complaint form, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights-complaint-form.