Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

64 • Massage Therapy Journal

AMTA Continuing Education

special education). The original name of the law was the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (also called EAHCA or EHA), but it changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA in 1990. 68 According to the law, the health impairment must cause the person to have limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli with respect to the educational environment. 68 The causes of specific health impairments vary widely. They may result from infections, allergies, accidents, genetic influences, environmental factors, perinatal effects and idiopathic or unknown reasons. Conditions that can lead to health impairments include but are not limited to the following: 70 • Allergies • Asthma • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder • Autism spectrum disorder • Cancer • Crohn’s disease

• Cystic fibrosis • Developmental delays • Emotional disturbance • Epilepsy or seizure disorders • Fibromyalgia • Irritable bowel syndrome • Lupus • Migraine headaches • Multiple sclerosis • Rheumatoid arthritis • Sickle cell anemia • Specific learning disability • Ulcerative colitis

Other health impairments are a wide range of chronic or acute medical conditions that affect at least one major life activity, including learning.

By their very nature, other health impairments involve medical treatment. People with health impairments, whether in educational settings or not, are often at greater risk for health problems called secondary conditions. Examples of secondary medical conditions include bowel or bladder incontinence, generalized fatigue or muscle weakness, pain, incoordination and mental health concerns such as depression. Approximately eight percent of all students between the ages of six and 21 years of age were identified as having other health impairments. 70 Reasonable Accommodations for Clients With Health Impairments Reasonable accommodations available for people with health impairments vary according to their medical condition. For example, people with bowel or bladder incontinence must have access to a toilet. The Restroom Access Act, also known as Ally’s Law, has been passed in many states to acknowledge this medical need. 71 The Restroom Access Act requires that retail businesses that have a “No Public Restroom” policy allow customers with specific medical conditions to use their employee toilets if needed. A person who displays an identification card, such as the “I Can’t Wait” card, is granted immediate use of the restroom. The card can be a physical card or a digital card and is issued by a national organization, such as the IBS Network and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

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