Service animals can play an integral role in the lives and education of students with disabilities. In addition to assisting with physical tasks, service animals can improve confidence, independence and quality of life for students, as well as help them to meet their educational goals. Teachers, coaches and administrators should have the knowledge…

Service and emotional support animals (ESA) have recently been a topic of conversation on college campuses, despite decades of controversy related to the interpretation of federal law. The distinction between an Emotional Support Animal and Service Animals, and the rights of the student regarding accommodations under FHA and ADA have been debated…

Whether principals are required to allow service animals in the public schools is not entirely clear in law, policy, or practice. The matter is further complicated when the alleged harm caused by denying a request for a service animal is not clearly related to the educational program. The purpose of this article is to inform principals about the…

The results of recent cases indicate that residences and dormitories owned by higher education institutions should be considered "dwellings," and thus subject to the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act (1968) as amended requires that the providers of dwellings accommodate assistance animals, which includes not only service animals,…

Despite increasing animal prevalence in public spaces, few districts have proactively developed policies to integrate assistance, therapy, service, and emotional support animals that are both legally sound and support the needs of individual students. Federal legislation defines a variety of animals that could accompany students, but only those…

This case study is designed for use in graduate courses in student affairs and higher education administration. This case presents some of the challenges that higher education professionals face concerning policies and laws as they relate to student mental illness and emotional support animals. Requests for emotional support animals are becoming…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that service animals allow some students with disabilities access to their education while enabling greater independence. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) as a member of the school planning team, facilitates the integration of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of ESA owners, examine how the ESA policy functions in the undergraduate college setting, and analyze how the disability services offices influenced the ESA policy and campus response to ESAs on two residential college campuses. The conceptual framework of the study was systems theory. A…

A respected principal finds himself caught in the middle of a complex legal conundrum when a student requests to bring a service animal to his public school where another student may be dangerously allergic to the animal. This case explores how accommodations per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of…

The presence of and request for assistance, service, and support animals has skyrocketed on college campuses in recent years. The purpose of this literature review is to explore potential benefits in the utilization of assistance animals within higher education, especially as it concerns disability service offices. It begins with an overview of…

As the title states, this article is a collection of musings with only modest attempts at establishing an order for them or connections between them. It is not quite "free association," but it is close. This structure or perhaps lack of it reflects the variety of things we do in our work. Many of the things we do have little in common…

Comprehension and application of law in campus housing settings can be a daunting task. Though challenging, a basic understanding of law and how it applies to residence life and housing environments within institutions of higher education is crucial. This article provides an historical evolution of three laws that have direct bearing on campus…

Data collected by the US Department of Education in 2008 indicate that US colleges and universities enrolled 707,000 students with disabilities, divided roughly equally between public and private institutions. The survey found that 31 percent of these students reported learning disabilities, 18 percent ADD or ADHD, 15 percent mental illness or…

The Americans with Disabilities Act allows a student with a disability to bring a service dog into any facility where the public is allowed, including academic teaching and research laboratories. However, the presence of the service dog does have an impact on the safety of the student, the service dog, and others in the laboratory. This article…

Disability-diversity on college campuses is no longer optional--it is an expectation. Students entering college today have grown up with the ADA and they have witnessed inclusion and mainstreaming of students with disabilities their entire lives. The most powerful barriers to full inclusion include stigmas about students with disabilities,…