Administrative Guidelines Assistance Animals

"There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  These documents are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice or Southeast Community College as proof that the dog is a bona fide service animal.”

Overview

Southeast Community College recognizes the importance  of  "Service  Animals"  as  defined  by  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).¹ The College is committed to permitting individuals with disabilities the use of bona-fide service animal on the College's locations to enable participation and equal access to the programs, services and activities available at SCC.

The College also recognizes the broader category of "Assistance Animals" as discussed in the Fair Housing Act implementing regulations.² These animals provide physical and/or emotional support to individuals with disabilities. SCC supports allowing assistance animals necessary to provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy College housing.

Southeast Community College will consider requests to permit the presence of an Assistance animal in SCC housing. No assistance animal may be kept in College housing at any time prior to the handler receiving approval as a reasonable accommodation pursuant to these guidelines. 

The College reserves the right to amend these guidelines as circumstances may require; these guidelines apply exclusively to assistance animals which may be necessary in College housing.

Separate guidelines address the presence and use of bona fide Service Animals (as defined by the ADAAA) at SCC locations.³

Definitions

A reasonable accommodation may include a change or exception to a rule or policy that is needed because of a person's disability, or it may be a physical change to a unit or common area. 

An assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance, performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a seizure disorder, psychiatric or mental disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability but is not considered a Service Animal under the ADAAA.  SCC recognizes the importance of allowing assistance animals necessary to provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy College housing. 

Although some assistance animals are professionally trained, they do not necessarily need to be trained. Assistance animals are also not limited to any specific type of animal. 

The Handler (Owner) is the individual who has requested the accommodation and has received approval to bring an assistance animal into College Housing.

The Student Support and Accommodations Resource Office works with students and college staff and faculty to ensure that individuals with disabilities are afforded access to the services and programs offered by SCC, including requests for reasonable accommodation in housing.

To request an assistance animal in housing, please reach out to the Accommodations Resource Office on your campus to start the process. 

1. _{Service animal means 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. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. . . . (28 CFR §35.104).}
2. _{(a) [Assistance Animal]… animals that are used to assist, support, or provide service to persons with disabilities.  .  .  [P]olicies [may not be] established … against animals that are necessary as a reasonable accommodation to assist, support, or provide service to persons with disabilities. . . . 24 CFR §5.303a.}
3. _{Southeast Community College, Presence and Use of Animals at SCC Facilities and Events, September 1, 2010, Administrative Guidelines, SCC HUB, Lincoln, NE.}