Accessibility Services

No. People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service-dog training program.  However, if the people with disabilities train their own dogs, the service dog must still be trained to perform a specific task.

Yes, if the service dog is unprovoked and shows aggression, and the handler does not take effective action to control it, faculty/staff may request that the dog be removed from the premises.  If someone taunts the service animal, and the animal reacts unexpectedly, the person who provoked the animal may be responsible for inciting the dog's reaction and could be subject to disciplinary action.

The service animal should not be unilaterally removed.  Faculty and staff should work with the service animal's owner and the other student to resolve the situation.  Some options may be moving each student so that contact is limited. The student with allergies may be asked to explore ways to control allergies with medication, or in extreme cases, each student may find other class options with the help of staff and faculty.  These resolutions should include discussion among all individuals involved.

Employees must exercise discretion to distinguish emotional support from a task.  There is not an inclusive list of tasks provided to KCTCS by the U.S. Department of Education.  College personnel should reference the U.S. Department of Education and/or contact the KCTCS Legal Office for decision-making guidance.

Generally, yes.  Some people with disabilities may use more than one service animal to perform different tasks.  A person who has a visual disability and a seizure disorder may use one service animal to assist with way-finding and another that is trained as a seizure alert dog.  You can ask the two permissible questions about each dog.  If both dogs can be accommodated, both should be allowed.

No. A guest with a disability who uses a service animal must be provided the same opportunity to reserve any available room at the hotel as other guests without disabilities.  They may not be restricted to "pet-friendly" rooms.

No.  Hotels are not permitted to charge a guest for cleaning hair or dander shed by a service animal.  However, if a guest's service animal causes damage to a guest room, a hotel is permitted to charge the same fee for damages as charged to other guests.

Generally, yes.  Service animals must be allowed in patient rooms and in other areas within the hospital where the public and patients are allowed to go.  They cannot be excluded even if hospital staff can provide the same service.

If the patient is not able to care for the service animal, the patient can make arrangements for a family member or friend to come to the hospital to provide care and supervision for the service animal, as it is always preferable that the service animal and its handler cannot be separated, or to keep the dog during hospitalization.  If the patient is unable to care for the dog and is unable to arrange for someone else to care for the dog, the hospital may place the dog in a boarding facility, or make other arrangements, until the patient is released.  However, the hospital must give the patient opportunity to make arrangements for the dog's care before taking such steps.

Generally, yes.  However, if the space in the ambulance is crowded and the dog's presence would interfere with the emergency medical staff's ability to treat the patient, other arrangements should be addressed to have the dog transported to the hospital.

Generally, the dog must stay on the floor, or the person must carry the dog.  For example, if a person with diabetes has a glucose alert dog, he may carry the dog in a chest pack so it can be close to his face to allow the dog to smell his breath to alert him of a change in glucose levels.

No.  Seating, food, and drink are provided for customers only.  The ADA gives a person with a disability the right to be accompanied by his or her service animal, but covered entities are not required to allow an animal to sit or be fed at the table.

No.  The ADA does not override public health rules that prohibit dogs in swimming pools.  However, service animals must be allowed on the pool deck and in other areas where the public is allowed to go.

No.  Religious institutions and organizations are specifically exempt from the ADA.  However, there may be state laws that apply to religious organizations.

The ADA applies to housing programs administered by state and local governments, such as public housing authorities, and by places of public accommodation, such as public and private universities.  In addition, the Fair Housing Act applies to virtually all types of housing, both public and privately owned, including housing covered by the ADA.  Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers are obligated to permit, as a reasonable accommodation, the use of animals that work, provide assistance, or perform tasks that benefit persons with disabilities, or provide emotional support to alleviate a symptom or effort of a disability.

For information about these Fair Housing Act requirements, see U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) notice on Service Animals and Assistance Animals for People with Disabilities in Housing and HUD-funded Programs.