The principles are really the same as for any employment case.

A blanket ban on the disabled in these EMT roles would be unjust (natural justice principles). Each case should be treated on its merits, considering all relevant matters and no irrelevant matters.

It depends on the nature of the disability and the impact of this on the ability to perform the duties required? I would have no problem if the person was certified as being fit to serve by a responsible authority that was free from any pressure to employ disabled people who would not be capable of doing the job.

I would probably want to take legal action if a person who was clearly incompetent (because of his disability) to serve as an EMT for any reason caused me more harm, and this outcome was directly related to his disability. My aim would be to have those responsible disciplined in order to prevent it happening again. I would sue for damages only if I suffered a serious financial loss.

I would be happy for The fire and ambulance services to stipulate that strong arms and legs are compulsory (two of each). Color blindness, diabetes, or chronic bowel irritation, might not be a concern.

I’d be more than happy to have a disabled EMT treat me. If they were able to pass the classes and actually become an EMT then they would have had to prove that they could do the job they were hired for. If proven they could not successfully carry out all the duties required, then they wouldn’t be where they are. In nursing the situation is similar. We have a Rules and Regulations set by the Texas Board of Nursing which require us to report certain things about our peers:

Comply with mandatory reporting requirements of Texas Occupations Code Chapter 301 (Nursing Practice Act), Subchapter I, which include reporting a nurse:
(i) who violates the Nursing Practice Act or a board rule and contributed to the death or serious injury of
a patient;
(ii) whose conduct causes a person to suspect that the nurse’s practice is impaired by chemical
dependency or drug or alcohol abuse;
(iii) whose actions constitute abuse, exploitation, fraud, or a violation of professional boundaries; or
(iv) whose actions indicate that the nurse lacks knowledge, skill, judgment, or conscientiousness to such an extent that the nurse’s continued practice of nursing could reasonably be expected to pose a risk of harm to a patient or another person, regardless of whether the conduct consists of a single incident or a pattern of behavior.
(v) except for minor incidents (Texas Occupations Code §§301.401(2), 301.419, 22 TAC §217.16), peer review (Texas Occupations Code §§301.403, 303.007, 22 TAC §217.19), or peer assistance if no
practice violation (Texas Occupations Code §301.410) as stated in the Nursing Practice Act and Board rules (22 TAC Chapter 217)

This helps to insure public safety, and I’m sure that EMTs have a similar thing.

As far as the poll is concerned, despite my comfort with a disabled person working on me, I’d still sue if they caused serious harm. If they just gave me a little too much of the narcotics and I felt loopy for a while, I probably wouldn’t sue.

First I have to agree with JyroBritanniac
I would be more than happy to have a disabled EMT treat me, as long as their disablities would not cause harm or distanglement of direct patient care. If this individual were able to pass the class and actually become an EMT then they would have had to prove that they could do the job they were hired for. Another post mendtioned that they knew of this individual we are speaking about in reference that he/she happened to pass the EMT course years before he/she went blind. If this is true, it is not the states responsibility yet the volunteer or paid corps to maintain health records and annnual testing. If proven they could not successfully carry out all the duties required, then they wouldn’t be where they are.
Most qualifications for EMTs and paramedics read the following: should be emotionally stable, have good dexterity, agility, and physical coordination, and be able to lift and carry heavy loads. They also need good eyesight (corrective lenses may be used) with accurate color vision. This is with 95% of the jobs listed throughout the country.

I was the patient on an ambulance trip from College Station to Dallas, TX (about a three hour drive) once. The EMT in the back slept the whole way (except when the ambulance had a blowout).

I wonder which is a better: an awake-but-blind EMT, or a not-blind-but-sleeping EMT…