Dive Brief:
- New guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice reviews sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act related to service animals, clarifying what colleges can and cannot ask for or require.
- While colleges cannot require that service animals be registered, University Business reports that voluntary registration is still an option that could prove useful in emergencies.
- While schools can ask what service animals have been trained to do, they cannot ask questions specifically about a student’s disability or ask for a demonstration of the animal’s skill.
Dive Insight:
The Department of Justice has published a frequently asked questions document to help guide institutional policy-making. Colleges and universities must create accommodations for trained service animals, but they are not under any obligation to allow animals who fulfill a primary purpose of simply comforting individuals. These animals may provide a valuable service to students, but their presence is not mandated through relevant portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.