Disabled Patient / Visitor Services
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is committed to making all reasonable accommodations to ensure that the special needs of patients and visitors with disabilities are addressed.
- Accessible Parking
- Accessible Entrances
- Accessible Restrooms
- Accessible Drinking Fountains
- Accessible Public Telephones
- Assistive Listening Systems
- Guide Dogs / Service Animals
- Our Web Site
- Assistance for the Hearing Impaired
- Assistance for the Visually Impaired
- Assistance for the Speech Impaired
- Assistance for Limited Hand Function
- Personal Equipment
- Non-standard-sized Equipment
Accessible Parking
Summit Campus
Due to the current major construction project at the Summit Campus, there is no wheelchair-accessible access from the Merritt Garage on 34th Street to the Main Merritt hospital building. Please use the free valet parking service located at the hospital main entrance on Hawthorne at the circle drive.
ADA vans are welcome to park in the Emergency Department lot at 375 34th Street, or use the free valet parking services at the entrance to either the Providence or the Merritt Pavilion.
Due to the construction, various detours for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic are in effect. Please see posted signs for ADA access and drop-off points.
The construction includes a new parking structure, scheduled to be completed in mid 2012, with 26 ADA accessible parking spaces, including 7 accessible for ADA vans.
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Herrick Campus
ADA parking spaces are available in the circle driveway on Dwight Way, with one additional space located on the Haste Street side. If additional space is needed, please use the free valet parking service located in the circle driveway by the main hospital entrance.
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Alta Bates Campus
The parking structure on Colby Street has a number of ADA spaces on the first floor, but does not have adequate vertical clearance for ADA vans. Please use the free valet parking service in front of the main hospital entrance.
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Accessible Entrances
Main entrances at the Summit Campus (Merritt, Providence, and Peralta Pavilions) and the Alta Bates Campus are wheelchair accessible. The main entrance to the Herrick Campus on Dwight Way and the Herrick Campus entrance on Haste Street are also wheelchair accessible.
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Accessible Restrooms
Summit Campus:
- Merritt Pavilion: First floor by the central elevators, and third and fifth floors opposite the visitor elevators.
- Providence Pavilion: Ground floor behind the gift shop, to the right of the imaging center.
- Peralta Pavilion: Ground floor near the lab.
Herrick Campus: Every floor next to elevator “C”.
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Accessible Drinking Fountains
Summit Campus:
- Merritt Pavilion: First, second, fourth and fifth floors.
- Providence Pavilion: Ground floor behind the gift shop, to the left of the Information Desk.
- Peralta Pavilion: Ground floor near the Telegraph Avenue elevator.
Herrick Campus: All floors opposite elevator “C”.
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Accessible Public Telephones
Summit Campus:
- Merritt Pavilion: TTY- first floor to the left of the main lobby, behind the gift shop. Wheelchair accessible phones – first, third and fourth floors. All phones volume-controlled.
- Providence Pavilion: TTY – first floor to the right of the Information Desk. Wheelchair accessible phone – first floor. All phones volume-controlled.
- Peralta Pavilion: No TTY. Wheelchair accessible phone – first floor near radiation oncology. All phones volume-controlled.
Herrick Campus: TTY and wheelchair accessible phones – first floor. All phones volume-controlled.
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Assistive Listening Systems
Assistive listening systems for the hearing impaired are in place in some meeting rooms, and a portable system is available that can be transported to any location. If you plan to attend a hospital-sponsored community event and will need this system, please notify the event organizing department in advance.
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Guide Dogs / Service Animals
Guide dogs or service animals are generally permitted everywhere in the medical center. Where there are clinical concerns, the attending physician should be consulted. The patient is responsible for arranging for someone to take care of the animal’s needs.
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Our Web Site
Our website currently includes adaptations for the visually impaired.
Changing the Font Size
Click on the "A+" or "A-" symbol in the upper right area of the web page to increase or decrease the text size.
Opening New Windows and/or Leaving Our Website
Links followed by the arrow symbol ( 
) let you know that the link will open a new window, and take you to a site outside of the Alta Bates Summit website. Please note that PDf files always open in a new window.
We're currently in the process of updating our website to make it even more accessible. Please let us know if you have trouble accessing any of the information on our website.
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Assistance for the Hearing Impaired
For the hearing impaired, we offer the following:
- Closed caption TV
- Volume control telephone handset
- Personal hearing amplification device
- TTY Phone
- Sign Language Interpreter
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Assistance for the Visually Impaired
For those with visual impairment, we offer the following:
- Documents in large print
- Microcassette memo recorder
- Braille translation on request
- Talking Rx prescription botlles
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Assistance for the Speech Impaired
- Vocal assistive devices
- Picture communication boards
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Assistance for Limited Hand Function
For those with limited hand function, we offer the following:
- Pancake call light
- Breath-operated call light
- Speaker phone
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Personal Equipment
If you bring any of your own adaptive equipment to the hospital, please mark it clearly with your name and phone number. Special equipment may need to be checked by our engineering staff prior to use within the medical center.
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Non-standard-sized Equipment
Standard hospital equipment does not fit everyone. Please let us know if you are taller than 6’6” or weigh more than 300 pounds so we can provide you with the appropriate equipment.
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