Non-Academic Accommodations
B. Non-Academic Accommodations
Non-academic accommodations are modifications that allow students equal access to all campus services, programs, activities, and facilities. These accommodations may include housing accommodations. Students should refer to current housing policies and ODAS procedures for further information regarding accommodations in on-campus housing. To request a housing accommodations, students must follow the same procedures and documentation requirements as noted above.
Animal Policy Regarding Assistance Animals:
Generally, the term “assistance animal” may refer to a service dog or an emotional support animal. However, there are different rules and procedures applicable to each.
Service Dogs:
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as “any dog that is 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.” The task performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Service animals are permitted in all areas of Woodbury’s facilities, including anywhere students, members of the public, and other participants in services, programs, or activities are permitted.
Documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, is not required. Federal law does not require an animal to be formally trained or to be certified that it has been trained. Service animals are individually trained to effectively perform tasks for people with disabilities.
The University recommends that any student using a service animal on campus request such accommodation by contacting ODAS. Informing ODAS of the need for a service animal will provide the opportunity for the ODAS Director to assist the student with any possible concerns related to access, explain any applicable procedures, and further support the student if needed.
Service animals must be licensed pursuant to local animal services regulations and must be fully inoculated, with the burden of proof on the animal user. Fecal matter deposited by a service animal must be removed immediately and disposed of properly. If personally unable to perform the task, service animal users must arrange for removal of fecal matter.
The ADA requires individuals with service animals to be responsible for the care and supervision of their animals. This includes feeding, grooming, and toileting. A service animal must be housebroken (i.e., trained so that it controls its waste elimination, except for illness or accident) and must be kept under control by a leash, harness, or other tether. In cases where the handler is unable to hold a harness or tether because of a disability, or the use of such would interfere with the service animal’s safety and the effective performance of work or tasks, the service animal must be under the handler’s control by some other means, such as voice control.
Woodbury staff and faculty members may not ask about the nature or extent of a person’s disability to determine whether a person’s animal qualifies as a service animal. However, when it is not readily apparent that a dog is a service animal, personnel may make two inquiries to determine whether the dog qualifies as a service animal.
These two inquiries are:
1. Is the dog required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Emotional Support Animals:
Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort but are not trained to perform specific tasks to assist individuals with a disability. In general, ESAs are not allowed to accompany individuals in public areas of Woodbury University or in classrooms.
However, ESA’s can be approved as a reasonable housing accommodation when necessary to address a disability-related barrier that impacts access to on-campus housing.
Before students can bring ESAs into on-campus housing, they must register for reasonable accommodations with the ODAS and provide applicable documentation. Specifically, the documentation must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the previous General Documentation Guidelines section and must include specific information regarding the necessity of the ESA to afford the student an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing. For example, the animal would provide emotional support or other assistance that would ameliorate one or more symptoms or effects of a student’s disability.
If student is approved for an ESA housing accommodation, student must follow applicable policies and guidelines from both ODAS and Housing.