In the spirit of Christ and the example of Francis of Assisi, the Mission of OSF HealthCare is to serve persons with the greatest care and love in a community that celebrates the Gift of Life.
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 504), Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the administration of its educational policies, programs or activities; admission policies and practices, student aid and other College administered programs or activities receiving federal funds or in the employment of its faculty and staff. Additionally, the College prohibits discrimination by others, including faculty, staff, students, partner agencies, contractors’/agents’/ licensors, and/or visitors to its programs and facilities. Section 504, states in part that, “no qualified individual with a disability in the United States as defined in section 705(20) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” 29 USC 794. “Individual with a disability” means person with a physical or mental health condition that substantially limits a major life activity. “Individual with a disability” also means an individual regarded as having a disability when s/he does not or who has a record of a disability. Disabilities may include but are not limited to attention deficit disorder and health, mental/psychological, physical, and sensory and learning disabilities. Major life activities include such things as: caring for one´s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. “Qualified individual with a disability” means an individual with a disability who meets the eligibility criteria established for acceptance and continued participation in the College’s nursing program, including performance of the Core Performance Standards of the program, with or without reasonable accommodations. “Basis of disability” means on the basis of a real or perceived disability or a record of a disability.
The College requires students with disabilities who believe that they need special classroom/clinical accommodations to identify themselves to the appropriate Dean and provide appropriate documentation of the disability and its impact on the student’s ability to meet the Core Performance Standards. The President or his/her designee shall develop documentation guidelines to assist with this process and insure their availability to students or other individuals upon request. Whether a student is a qualified individual with a disability is an individualized decision determined by a group of knowledgeable individuals, which may include the student and the student’s medical providers if appropriate under the circumstances. Mitigating measures are not taken into consideration when the College determines whether a student is a qualified individual with a disability, other than those recognized by law, such as glasses. However, mitigating measures may be considered when determining whether requested accommodations are necessary or reasonable. Examples of mitigating measures include but are not limited to, medication or the use of assistive technology. The procedure for students and further information can be found in the Student Handbook.
The College adheres to all policies related to pregnancy in the Illinois Human Rights Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act. Please see the Dean for questions on the policy or for requesting accommodation.