[nagdu] Guide Dogs at School

[Mark J. Cadigan]

Due to the recent discussion about reasonable accommodations I thought I 
would ask the list's thoughts on a recent discussion I have just had with my 
schools ODS office.



Although I haven't posted on this list in a long time, as many of you may 
know, I was considering getting a guyed dog. Well, I have finely been 
accepted, and I will be receiving a dog from Fidelco on January 3. Because I 
live in the dorms on campus, I informed the Suffolk ODS office about my 
getting a guide dog. And, hear is a few excerpts from there service dog 
policy. For the entire policy you can visit 
http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbooks/47571.html.



Requirements of Service Animals and Their Partners

Training: To be present on campus, a service animal must be specifically 
trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a 
disability.(no problem so far) Evidence of successful completion of a 
recognized licensing or certification program for service animals, or a 
letter documenting the training, is required. (What does that mean?) A copy 
of the proof of certification should be filed with the Disability Services 
Office (for CAS and SBS students), the Dean of Students Office (for Law 
Students) or Human Resources Office (for faculty/staff/administrators). 
Visitors or guests may be required to provide documentation to the Suffolk 
University Police Department.



I am not a lawyer, but does that line up with the ADA?



Note - Suffolk University will consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests 
by students who reside in residence halls for a service animal, including a 
dog or other animal, to reside in the residence hall. Please direct such 
requests to the Office of Disability Services at least 30 days prior to the 
date the animal is expected to be in residence.



This sounds like they want the authority to refuse acksess to some service 
animals that don't meet with the ODS stamp of approval.



On a different note, is on campus housing at a college covered under the 
ADA, or the fare housing acksess act, or some other law I don't know about?



Mark J. Cadigan
Electrical Engineering Department
Suffolk University
kramc11 at gmail.com