Purpose
When a student has a medical condition, such as a seizure disorder, a fainting disorder, or another condition that may result in an inability to communicate their needs and wishes with those around them (an “episode”), the student is encouraged to meet with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator to create a Safety Plan. This plan provides the student’s faculty members, the College’s Student Health nurses, and other individuals as determined by the student and the ADA Coordinator with information about the student’s symptoms and the student’s requested follow-up plan.
Content
Each Safety Plan will include:
- A detailed description of the symptoms that are associated with an episode, including the expected duration of those symptoms
- A description of the appropriate follow-up actions to be taken, such as the location of any emergency medications
- Contact information for the College’s Student Health nurses and the ADA Coordinator
- A statement of consent and agreement, including consent to share diagnosis with Student Health
The Safety Plan may also include a request from the student regarding calling, or not calling, Emergency Services.
A Safety Plan will not include information about the student’s specific diagnosis. However, the diagnosis will be shared separately with the College’s Student Health nurses, so they can be prepared with appropriate assessment/intervention strategies if an episode does occur.
Request to Refrain from Calling Emergency Services
A request to refrain from calling emergency services is non-binding. Even if such a request is included in the Safety Plan, the College’s first priority is student safety. Therefore, a College employee always retains the right to call Emergency Services during a student episode.