Senior Connections

Farmingdale Public Library

March/April 2019 Newsletter

Topic of the Month

Learning About "SERVICE ANIMALS"

 

US Department of Justice provides regulations under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding "Service Animals"---only dogs are recognized as service animals. A dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Examples include:

--guiding a person who is blind

--alerting people who are deaf

--alerting and protecting a person with seizure

--calming person during anxiety attack

--and more

Generally, service dogs must be permitted to accompany the disabled in all areas where the public is allowed to go. Specific rules related to service dogs:

--when it is not obvious what service a dog provides, only two questions are allowed 1)is service dog 

  required because of a disability?, 2) what work or task has dog been trained to perform ?

--a disabled person cannot be asked to remove service dog from premises unless 1) dog is out of control, 2) dog is not housebroken

--and more

To obtain complete requirements and regulations regarding service dogs, visit www.ADA.gov and input "Service Animals" in Search ADA.gov bar, or visit Senior Connections in Outreach Services room at library for a copy of regulations.