It is the policy of Southern Adventist University to abide by both the letter and spirit of the law in all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The Act prohibits discrimination in all employment practices including job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. It also applies to recruitment, advertising, tenure, layoff, leave, fringe benefits, and all other employment-related activities.
The university prohibits all discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. This included applicants for employment and employees. An individual is considered to have a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment, or major bodily function impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity, has a record of having such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment. Discrimination against persons because they have a known association or relationship with an individual who has a disability is prohibited.
The ADA applies to an impairments that substantially limits a major life activities such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself, working, and major bodily functions such as cell growth, endocrine functions, neurological functions, digestive functions, respiratory functions, and reproductive functions. An individual with a minor, non-chronic condition of short duration, such as a sprain, broken limb, or the flu generally would not be covered.
The university considers a qualified individual with a disability to be a person who has the legitimate skill, expertise, education, or other requirements for a position that he/she seeks or holds, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations. The university requires that a person have the ability to perform the essential functions of a job to assure that an individual with a disability will not be considered unqualified simply because of inability to perform marginal or incidental job functions.