Service Animal Policy
12/2023
PURPOSE:
Bellin College students with disabilities may request accommodations in the form of a service animal.
POLICY:
SERVICE ANIMALS
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work, or perform tasks, for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the animal must be directly related to the student’s disability.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Helping a blind or low-vision student with navigation or other tasks
- Alerting a student who is deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds
- Providing non-violent protection or rescue work
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Assisting a student during a seizure
- Alerting a student to the presence of allergens
- Retrieving items such as medicine or a telephone
- Providing balance and stability support for a student with a mobility impairment
- Helping a student with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors
REQUEST FOR A SERVICE ANIMAL
Request for a service animal must follow the procedures for requesting an accommodation, including completion of the Request for a Service Animal Form which can be obtained from Accommodations Services (accomodations@bellincollege.edu). Requests should be submitted in advance of the necessary need. .
If the disability and need for the service animal are readily apparent (apparent meaning an animal has been trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, e.g. the dog is observed guiding an individual who is blind or has low vision, pulling a person’s wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability), no documentation is required during the accommodation process. If the need for a service animal is not apparent, the student may be asked if the animal is required because of a disability and what work/task has the animal been trained to perform (K. Zayko, Attorney, Husch Blackwell, 2019).
The student must provide written consent for the Advisor and Accommodations Coordinator to disclose information regarding the request for, and presence of, the service animal to those individuals who may be impacted by the presence of the animal. Such information shall be limited to details related to the animal and shall not include information related to the student’s disability.
If Bellin College denies the request for a service animal, the College will provide the student with a written letter stating the reason(s) for the denial and will offer to schedule a meeting at a mutually convenient time to discuss potential alternative accommodations. A service animal can be excluded from the campus if the animal is out of control, the student does not take actions to control it, or if the animal is not housebroken. The animal may also be excluded if it presents a direct threat to the health and safety of others. Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access, or refusing service to students utilizing service animals.
If a student with a disability believes that their request for a service animal has been denied unlawfully, or a response has been unreasonably delayed, the student may contact the Dean of Student Services to initiate the complaint process. More information on the complaint process can be found in the Bellin College Guide (Handbook & Catalog) or online via the following link: https://www.bellincollege.edu/campus-life/student-services/policies-and-procedures/.
CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL OF SERVICE ANIMAL AS AN ACCOMMODATION
Bellin College in consultation with the student and/or other parties as appropriate, will take into account various factors in determining whether to allow a service animal as an accommodation for the student’s disability.
Other considerations may include, but are not limited to:
- Whether the College has received satisfactory documentation of the student’s disability and need (if not apparent) for a service animal as an accommodation.
- Whether the College has received an acceptable and completed signed Request for a Service Animal and Registration of Service Animal Form.
- Whether the animal poses, or has posed in the past, a direct threat to the student or others.
- Whether the animal causes, or has caused, excessive damage to campus beyond reasonable wear and tear.
- Whether the size of the animal is too large for available assigned space.
- Whether the animal’s presence otherwise violates any individual’s rights.
- Whether the animal is housebroken or unable to be present on campus with others in a reasonable manner.
- Whether the animal has been properly trained as a service animal.
- Whether permitting the animal would impose a safety issue and/or fundamental alteration of a College program. This would include the individual nature of the lab and/or clinical experience; presence in the clinical area will be deferred to the clinical agency and their policies.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Students who are granted the accommodation of a service animal in the College will be required to sign and fully comply with the terms of the Request for A Service Animal Agreement. The request describes various rules and policies governing the approval for the animal.
REMOVAL OF SERVICE ANIMAL
If it becomes necessary for the removal of the service animal from the College, for any reason including by direction of the College, the student will be expected to fulfill any and/or all of their obligation(s) to the College.