Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 9, 1993 TAG: 9305090227
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
"Maybe we can get down to facts, rather than stereotypical things like, `You're in a wheelchair, you can't do this,' " Wayne Walker said.
Walker, whose legs were amputated above the knee after he stepped on a land mine, passed the written exam and practical test, which included a simulated rescue. But the Office of Emergency Medical Services denied the certification, saying that Walker can't meet the physical demands of rescue work.
Walker, 44, will meet with Commissioner Robert Strube and two members of the state health board for an informal fact-finding conference. There also will be representatives from the Office of Emergency Medical Services and the Department of Rights for Virginians With Disabilities. They are trying to set a date this month agreeable to all parties, Walker said.
Following the administrative conference, a recommendation will be made and a consent order signed. If Walker doesn't agree with the recommendation, then the matter will go before the full Board of Health. If still dissatisfied, he can take the case to circuit court.
The state EMS office said Walker should never have been allowed to take the classes because of his physical limitations and added that just passing the test doesn't guarantee certification.
Walker, who competed nationally in events for handicapped athletes, said Friday that EMS officials are concerned that he would be unable, for example, to lift and carry an injured person in a car that slid down a steep embankment.
Those kinds of rescue operations are rare, he said, and when they happen he could be the third member of a team or get help from a second rescue squad that routinely responds to accidents.
"A person with no legs can't do absolutely everything, but there are lots of things I can do that do not require me to have legs," Walker said.
by CNB