INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY

	
For the purpose of the Respiratory Care Program a “Qualified individual with a disability is one who, with or without reasonable accommodation or modification, meets the essential eligibility requirements for participation in the program.”
Respiratory Care is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements.  Based on these requirements a list of “Core Performance Standards” has been developed.  Each standard has an example of an activity which a student will be required to perform while enrolled in the Respiratory Care Program.  These standards should be used to assist students in determining whether accommodations or modifications are necessary for a student to meet program requirements.  Students who identify potential difficulties with meeting the Core Performance Standards must communicate their concerns to the college counseling and advising staff.
Determination is made on an individual basis as to whether or not the necessary accommodations or modifications can be made reasonably.
CORE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION AND PROGRESSION	
Issue	Standard	Some Examples of Necessary Activities (not all inclusive)	
Critical Thinking		Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment	Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations, develop respiratory care plans	
Interpersonal	Interpersonal abilities sufficient To interact with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds		Establish rapport with patients/clients and colleagues	
Communication	Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form	Explain treatment procedures, initiate health teaching, document and interpret respiratory care actions and patient/client responses	
Mobility	Physical abilities sufficient  move room to room and maneuver in small spaces	Moves around in patient’s rooms, work  spaces, and treatment areas, administer cardio-pulmonary procedures	
Motor Skills	Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe effective respiratory care		Calibrate and use equipment; position  patients/clients	
Hearing	Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs	Hears monitor alarm, emergency signals, auscultatory sounds, cries for help		
Visual	Visual ability sufficient  observation and assessment  necessary in respiratory care	Observes patient/client responses
	
Tactile	Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment	Perform palpitation, functions of physical  examination and/or those related to therapeutic intervention, e.g., insertions of a catheter