Recent changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) impact individuals who use service animals. The new ADA rules tighten the definition of “service animal”, limiting it almost exclusively to dogs. To be classified as a service animal, the dog must be trained to perform specific tasks for its disabled owner/handler. (A summary of the new ADA regulations is at the bottom of this page.)
When the Americans with Disabilities Act was put into law twenty years ago, it required that public facilities such as restaurants, hotels, and hospitals allow access to service animals. Because the term “service animal” was not limited to certain species or regulated by certification, it was open to abuse, as discussed in this article in the Wall Street Journal . In response, the March 15, 2011 regulations were implemented to “…stop {the} erosion of the public’s trust, which has resulted in reduced access for many individuals with disabilities who use trained service animals that adhere to high behavioral standards.”
On May 23rd 2011, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability hosted a meeting at City Hall to review the new regulations and to offer the Disabled Community an opportunity to respond. Some members of the Disabled Community voiced their opposition to these new regulations. Individuals who rely on animals for emotional support or who use service animals other than dogs say that the new rules are too restrictive. During the open comment portion of the meeting, attendees spoke about the impact that service animals have on their quality of life. A man with AIDS said that his dog provided emotional support, giving him a reason to go on living. A deaf man said that animals other than dogs could be trained to perform essential services, pointing out that his service cat alerts him to common sounds like the doorbell and phone. Although most of the speakers opposed the new regulations, a minority of attendees were in favor of them, citing negative experiences with poorly-trained service animals.
Speakers from the audience also raised other concerns about training and certification for service animals:
Summary of the new ADA (Americans with Disability Act) Regulations for Service Animals
On March 15, 2011, the Americans with Disability Act established new regulations for service animals. The new regulations limit the use of the term “service animal” to dogs (and in a few cases, miniature horses). In addition, the new regulations specify that a dog must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler’s disability.
Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to:
The regulations also say that 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.”
The new ADA regulations also state that:
