The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to allow service animals in their establishments. A service animal is defined as a dog that has been trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a disability. These tasks can include guiding individuals who are blind or have low vision, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, pulling a wheelchair, assisting during a seizure, or retrieving items.

Which Businesses Must Comply?

Private businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and service providers, must comply with ADA service animal requirements. These businesses are expected to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures to accommodate individuals with disabilities, including allowing service animals into their business.

Business owners can ask two questions to determine if an animal is a service animal: (1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? However, businesses may not require certification, identification cards, proof of training, or other documentation for a service animal.

When Can a Service Animal be Removed?

A business may deny access to an individual with a service animal or ask that the service animal be removed in three situations: (1) the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, (2) the animal is not housebroken, or (3) making the required modification to policies, practices, or procedures to accommodate a service animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities provided by the entity to the public.

Original reporting: NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) — read the source article.