Jane Jarrow

Nick, Again, you have missed a key element of the example and come away with a mistaken impression. The example was not of a time test on emergency medicine -- it was an evaluation of skill in a TASK that is time-dependent (applying a tourniquet). If the evaluation had been a written test asking for a description of how to apply a tourniquet, there would be no reason that extended time could not be granted. Any standardized test for licensure or certification will (by law) include the possibility of extended time for students with disabilities. It is WHOLLY appropriate to… >>>

Nick, Again -- I think you are mixing apples an oranges. Any time you get into practical application of skills, the determination of reasonable accommodation is mixed with a determination of necessary technical standards and prowess. Reading to a blind student (or providing an electronic version of the text) is a reasonable accommodation for the classroom. Reading to a blind student is NOT a reasonable accommodation in the pharmacy. The issue is not whether the accommodation would be a burden for the employer. The issue is whether it is a reasonable accommodation in the first place -- and it is… >>>

Nick, I think you may have misinterpreted something, somewhere along the line, Nick. The bigger issue, in the SPECIFIC scenario you describe (someone who cannot read as a pharmacy tech) is whether the individual is able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. If reading IS an essential function of the job, and accurate and knowledgeable reading is what is necessary for safe practice, then it would NOT be reasonable to have someone read to the disabled pharmacy tech, and that individual would not be an "otherwise qualified" person with a disability. Dr. Jane… >>>

Elysia, I have a colleague who gives a presentation called, "Of blind mechanics and hemophiliac industrial arts teachers I have known!" He says that, in fact, he has only known one of each, but it is enough to teach him to never say "never." By the same token, there are certainly technical skills which are critical to the performance of some tasks that may make it impossible for someone to perform typical tasks in the typical way. Here's an example for you. I once met a surgical nurse who was absolutely the BEST at what she did. She had been… >>>

Elysia, As a general rule, it is easier to make the decision as to whether to share when you keep in mind WHY you know what you know. Students with disabilities share private information about their disability when that sharing may, in fact, be to their benefit (that is, when there is something that could or should be done to help them). If the person you are sharing with is in a position to help, then the sharing may be useful. If that individual cannot act on the information in a positive way, there isn't really a reason to share… >>>