Employees living with physical disabilities such as prosthetic limbs or paralysis may ask you to accommodate a service animal. It can be challenging to accommodate a dog in the office, but it’s worth remembering that most service dogs are highly trained and well-behaved.
What do service animals for physical disabilities do?
Service dogs assist people with everyday tasks, alert them to danger, help navigate their surroundings, and help your employee with disabilities overcome any difficulties they face. A service dog will usually pick up dropped items, turn switches on and off, or perhaps move small obstacles out of the way of a wheelchair. They can also help with opening and closing doors, dressing and undressing, and retrieving objects such as a ringing telephone. Often, a service animal can help with doorbells and the buttons on pedestrian crossings, too.
In the office, a service dog can assist with retrieving phones, dropped pens, and pressing elevator buttons. They are also helpful for navigating the office and managing health conditions in the workplace.
‘Physical disabilities’ is a wide-ranging term that can mean many different things. It can refer to prosthetic limbs, paralysis, seizures, and more. Some service dogs are trained to alert the handler to seizures or fainting, and some may even be trained to help in those types of situations. Service animals are also used by the D/deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, people living with mental health conditions like PTSD, people living with seizures, and those who identify as neurodiverse. Employees living with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and more, may ask you to accommodate a service dog.
Do I have to accommodate a service dog?
According to the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service dog is covered as a ‘reasonable accommodations’ you’re expected to provide to employees who disclose their disability to you. However, if there are safety issues, such as hazardous materials or dangerous machinery, an assessment should be made on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the presence of the animal would be considered a direct threat. Some service dogs wear safety equipment, but they have to be trained to wear this, and while it is an option, it isn’t something you have to allow.
Some other reasons why you can refuse to accommodate a service dog include the size or layout of your facility, the dog not the animal. However, nearly all service dogs are impeccably trained and dedicated to their handlers. The handlers are also devoted to their service animal, and they are usually excellent handlers and responsible dog owners.
Adding a service dog to your team can seem daunting, but remember, they’re almost always highly trained and dedicated to their handler and their job. If you have concerns about the dog’s safety in the work environment, you can request that the dog wear the appropriate safety equipment, but you may have to provide this. Nevertheless, service animals are generally considered a reasonable accommodation unless they pose a direct threat to safety.
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