What disabilities qualify?
Any life-limiting disability (physical or mental) that could be helped by a service dog qualifies. Examples include visual impairments, hearing impairments, mental illness, physical impairments etc. Being on SSDI does not automatically qualify or disqualify you under the ADA’s definition. The best way for you to figure out if you are disabled is to talk with your doctor and ask if they think you are disabled.
http://www.dbtac.vcu.edu/whatsada-defini... In depth explanation of a disability
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33304_2006... A report to congress on the implementation of the ADA definition of disability
How can I find out more?
The best way is to ask questions! Find other service dog handlers online or in person and talk with them. I have a few groups and listservs listed, but there are many more on yahoo and MSN. Bear in mind that there are some definite rifts in the service dog community, so don’t take it personally if you are denied membership from some groups—just look elsewhere for your information! Here are some links that I find helpful:
http://www.deltasociety.org/ The Delta Society has a lot of general information
http://www.psychdog.org/ The Psychiatric Service Dog Society has great information including an extensive FAQ, public access standards, service dog etiquette, a listserv for people with invisible disabilities using service dogs and much more
http://www.psychdog.org/listserv.html This is a direct link to the PSDS listserv for people with invisible disabilities. A great source of information for those considering training their own service dog
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Service_an... This is a public forum on dogster.com where you can chat about service dogs of all types and training and read questions and answers from other members.
http://www.dogster.com/group/Service_dog... This is a private group on dogster, where you can ask more intimate questions and talk about all types of service dogs and training. You must have a dog on dogster (it’s free!) to join this group, but you can at least access the links without joining the group!
http://www.service-dog.org/ Canine Caretakers for Life
http://www.iaadp.org/ International Association of Assistance Dog Partners is an organization you can join
http://www.paws-up.net/EtiquetteforSDHan... A great etiquette document
http://www.deltasociety.org/download/sd_... Another document about service dog standards
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/svcanimb.ht... The Department of Justice’s flyer about service animals
http://www.iaadp.org/maze.html A guide to the maze of laws about service animals
http://www.box.net/public/qe956unssp A flyer I give out to educate people about Sabrina
http://www.servicedogssavelives.org/ Service Dogs Save Lives
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1 comment:
Great info. I'm from San Diego, too. Just had my first ADA access lawsuit involving my Service dog and a restaurant here. Please read about it at my blog at http://heartdogblog.blogspot.com
It's outrageous that this suit was lost, as my rights were clearly violated. I'm hoping to continue fighting, though!
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