Technical Standards

Becoming an Athletic Training Student requires the completion of a professional education program that is both intellectually and physically challenging. The purpose of this document is to articulate the demands of this program in a way that will allow students applying for admission into the program to compare their own capabilities against these demands. This document meets the requirements outlined by the American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA makes it unlawful to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.

Applicants who are offered a position in this program will be asked to certify their ability to complete the tasks, with or without reasonable accommodations, associated with performance as an Athletic Training Student. Reasonable accommodation refers to ways in which the University can assist students with disabilities to accomplish these tasks, i.e.: providing extra time to complete an examination, enhancing the sound system in a classroom or providing a push cart for a student who may not have the strength to carry a cooler full of water.

Reasonable accommodation does not mean that students with disabilities will be exempt from certain tasks; it does mean that the athletic training faculty/staff will work with students with disabilities to determine whether there are ways that the faculty/staff can assist the student towards completion of the tasks.

Students accepting a position in the program who indicate that they can complete these tasks, with or without reasonable accommodation, are not required to disclose the specifics of their disabilities until after acceptance into the program. After acceptance into the program, a student with a disability who wishes reasonable accommodation must make a formal request to the Chair of the Department of Athletic Training and must be prepared to provide documentation substantiating the claimed disability. A student may be administratively withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the student cannot complete essential tasks even with accommodation, that the accommodations needed are not reasonable and would cause undue hardship to the institution, or that fulfilling the functions would create a significant risk of harm to the health and safety of others.

Students who have questions about this document or who would like to discuss specific accommodations should make an inquiry with the Chair of the Department of Athletic Training.

Essential Tasks

1. Students must meet class standards for course completion throughout the curriculum.
2. Students must be able to read, write, speak and understand English at a level consistent with successful course completion, having the ability to communicate with athletes and successfully complete medical records.
3. Students must complete readings, assignments and other activities outside of class hours.
4. Students must gather decision-making pieces of information during an injury assessment activity in class or in the clinical setting without the use of an intermediary such as a classmate, GA or certified athletic trainer.
5. Students must perform treatment and rehabilitation activities in class or in the clinical setting by direct performance or by instruction and supervision of intermediaries.
6. Students must apply critical thinking processes to their work in the classroom and in the clinical setting, and must exercise sound judgment in the class and in the clinical setting and must follow safety procedures established for each class and clinical setting.
7. Students must maintain personal appearance and hygiene conducive to the classroom and clinical setting.
8. Students must annually pass a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course at the health professional level.
9. Students must annually complete OSHA-regulated Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Training and complete the Hepatitis B Vaccine series or have a written denial on file.

Typical Skills Needed to Complete These Essential Tasks

1. Students typically sit for 2-10 hours daily in the classroom, stand for 1-2 hours daily at clinical assignments and must be able to ambulate 10 yards at 2 miles per hour indoor or outdoor over rough terrain.
2. Students frequently lift less than 10 pounds and occasionally lift between 10-20 LBS. overhead.
3. Students occasionally carry up to 25-30 LBS while walking up to 10-20 feet.
4. Students frequently exert 25 pounds of push/pull forces to objects up to 50 feet.
5. Students frequently twist, bend, stoop and kneel on the floor up to 15 minutes.
6. Students frequently move from place to place and position to position and must do so at a speed that permits safe handling of classmates and injured athletes.
7. Students frequently stand and walk while providing support to an injured athlete.
8. Students frequently coordinate verbal and manual activities with gross motor activities.
9. Students use auditory, tactile, and visual senses to receive classroom instruction and to evaluate and treat injured athletes.
10. Students often work within an electrical field.
11. Students often will need to have 20/40 vision to correctly see activities across the field, court or mat.
12. Students frequently need basic neurological function to perceive hot, cold, change in contour of surface/body part and to maintain 10 LBS. of grip strength for 30 secs.
13. Students frequently need bladder, bowel, and emotion control for 1-2 hours.
14. Students need to possess the ability to make and execute quick, appropriate and accurate decisions in a stressful environment.