Service animals on campus

To: UCSC Community

From: Ashish Sahni (Campus ADA Compliance Officer) and Susan Willats (ADA Facilities Access Coordinator)

Please be aware that service animals (dogs) are welcome and important members of the campus community and you may encounter service dogs with their owners at multiple campus locations.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as dogs individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The work or task that the dog performs is directly related to the individual’s disability, and can include a wide variety of services, such as:
•       Assist those with low vision;
•       Alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing;
•       Pull a wheelchair;
•       Retrieve items such as medicine or the telephone;
•       Recognize and assist during seizures;
•       Remind handler to take medication;
•       Detect, prevent or interrupt the onset of a panic attack, or unwanted behaviors;
•       Assist with balance or stability.

Please be aware that some individuals using service animals do not have an obvious disability. To prevent misunderstandings and inappropriate inquiries, if you see a dog that you believe is not a service animal, please do not directly confront or question the person with the dog.  We appreciate your help in making UCSC a welcoming environment for people with disabilities and their service animals.

Information about the ADA at UCSC, including the campus policy on service animals, can be found at http://ada.ucsc.edu.