SERVICE ANIMALS A Users Perspective

Service Animals A Users Perspective  #1. Not All Disabilities are Visible  #2. A Person with a Disability is the only Minority Group you can become a member of in an instant.  #3. We all know or have a family member that is disabled.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A DISABILITY  FEDERAL: A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such patients major life activities, a record of having such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment, bust such term does not include illegal use or addiction to a controlled substance  STATE: Having a physical or mental impartment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, having a record of such impairment, or being regarded as having such impairment. The term does not include current or illegal use of ore addiction to a controlled substance or alcohol or drug abuse that threatens the property or safety of others

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A DISABILITY  3 Categories of Disability  Person with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activity  A person with a record of such impairment  A person who is regarded as having such impairment

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A DISABILITY  Examples  Blindness  Hearing Impaired  Uses a Wheelchair  Person with AIDS/HIV  Diabetes  Mental Retardation  Learning Disability  It is suggested that the ADA covers over 900 different types of disabilities

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS The Americans with Disabilities Act  Legislation passed in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Under this Act, discrimination against a disabled person is illegal in employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and government activities.  Federal Law Passed in 1990  Effective January 1992  Disability  Public Accommodations

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A Service Animal  Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A Service Animal  Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A Service Animal  Service Miniature Horse  In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department of Justices revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A Service Animal  A Business May Ask  Is this a Service Animal ?  What Task Does this Service Animal Provide  Businesses MAY NOT :  Require Special Identification for the Animal  Ask the Persons Disability  Charge Additional Fees  Refuse Admittance, isolate, segregate or treat less favorably.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  WHAT IS A Service Animal  A person with a Disability cannot be asked to remove the service animal UNLESS:  The animal is out of control and the owner does not take effective action to control it  The animal possesses a direct threat to the health and safety of others.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  TYPES OF SERVICE ANIMALS  Autism Service Dog  Hearing Dogs  Mobility Service Dog  Psychiatric Service Dogs  Seizure Alert/Response Dog  aka: Medical Alert Dog

Service Animals A Users Perspective  TYPES OF SERVICE ANIMALS  Seizure Alert/Response Dog  aka: Medical Alert Dog  Diabetic Dog

Service Animals A Users Perspective  Next Step???  Service Dog on Medical Marijuana

Service Animals A Users Perspective  Marijuana for sick pets bill dies in Nevada Legislature (April 2015)

Service Animals A Users Perspective  PROBLEMS  Web Sites that Sell Vests and Identification for Service Animals  National or Federal Service Animal Registry (SCAM)  Valid Service Animal Attacked by “Fake” Service Animals  SO Many People claim they have a service animal, even the “Valid” animas are being questioned or looked at suspiciously  No Rules on Identification nor Vests

Service Animals A Users Perspective  Airlines….Different Rules (Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)  For a service animal who’s use is not obvious, as with any public accommodation, the airline agent may ask  (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and  (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. According to DOT regulations, an airline must accept the following as evidence that the animal is indeed a service animal:  (3) the credible verbal assurances of a passenger with a disability using the animal, the presence of harnesses or markings on harnesses, tags, or identification cards or other written documentation.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  Airlines….Different Rules (Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)  For emotional support animals, the documentation required is different, and most airlines require current documentation (i.e., dated within a year of the date of travel) from a mental- health professional stating that:  (1) the passenger has a mental health-related disability; the passenger needs the animal for the mental-health condition; and the provider of the letter is a licensed mental-health professional (or a medical doctor) and the passenger is under the individual’s professional care.

Service Animals A Users Perspective  YOU CANT HAVE YOUR SERVICE ANIMAL HERE!!!  Would you require a person in a wheelchair to give up their wheelchair.?  Would you require a Blind Person to give up their Seeing Eye Cane?  Would you require the Hearing Impaired to remove their hearing aides?