Policies & Procedures Manual

458

Policy No: 817.1

Policy Contact: Vice President for Student Services

Policy Title: SERVICE ANIMALS & ASSISTANCE ANIMALS PURPOSE

To provide guidelines for Service & Assistance Animals as outlined under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended (ADA).

POLICY/PROCEDURE

In compliance with applicable law, East Central Community College (ECCC) generally allows service animals in its buildings, classrooms, residence halls, meetings, dining areas, recreational facilities, activities, and events when the animal is accompanied by an individual with a disability who indicates the service animal is trained to provide, and does provide, a specific service to them that is directly related to their disability. ( For policies regarding assistance animals – including emotional support animals - that do not meet the definition of a "service animal,” please see the section below entitled Policy on Assistance Animals ). ECCC may not permit service animals when the animal poses a direct threat to the life, health, safety, or welfare of the ECCC community or when the presence of the animal constitutes a fundamental alteration to the nature of the program or service. ECCC will make those determinations on a case-by-case basis. 1. Handler: A handler is the person with a disability that a service animal assists or a personal care attendant who handles the animal for a person with a disability. 2. Service Animal: A service animal includes a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and meets the definition of “service animal” under ADA regulations at 28 CFR 35.104. The work or tasks performed must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Examples include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks; alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds; providing non-violent protection or rescue work; pulling a wheelchair; assisting an individual during a seizure; alerting individuals to the presence of allergens; retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone; providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities; and/or helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. The crime deterrent effects of an animal’s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition. 3. Assistance Animal: An assistance animal is one that is necessary to afford the person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy College housing. An assistance animal may provide physical assistance, emotional support, calming, stability, and other kinds of assistance. Assistance animals do not perform work or tasks that would qualify them as “service animals” under the ADA. Assistance animals that are not service animals under the ADA may still be permitted, in certain circumstances, in College Housing pursuant to the Fair Housing Act. DEFINITIONS

POLICY ON SERVICE ANIMALS