IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court says a leading chiropractic college must make
accommodations to allow a blind student to pursue a degree.
The court ruled 5-2 on Friday that Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport must readmit Aaron Cannon
and allow him to use an assistant to interpret X-rays and other medical images.
The college had argued that accommodation wasn’t feasible, and that vision was a requirement for a degree
because reading X-rays is critical for the profession.
But Justice Daryl Hecht found that Cannon’s accommodation was reasonable, noting that blind students had
previously graduated from Palmer. He noted that 20 percent or more of chiropractors do not have the
ability to take radiographs in their office.
Dissenting Justice Thomas Waterman said the decision “elevates political correctness over common sense.”