Service Animals
Berea College is committed to assuring equal access to all persons, as required by law. It is the College’s policy to permit service animals on campus in all areas where persons are normally allowed to go with some exceptions. Service animals are, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Under Kentucky State Law, service animals include service dogs in training.
Berea College reserves the right to restrict service animals in certain locations due to health, environmental, or safety hazards. Access to restricted areas may be considered on a case-by-case basis by contacting Disabilities & Accessibility Services (DAS).
Service animals shall be appropriately attended, restrained, and controlled by the handler. Under certain circumstances, a service animal may be excluded. Please see Service Animals Procedures for more information.
A College employee may ask two questions to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal, if it is not obvious what service the animal provides: (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. Staff cannot ask about the handler’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task. Service animals shall, however, be acclimatized and properly oriented to the campus environment to avoid health or safety issues. When staying in Student Housing, the handler must submit verification of the animal’s health and vaccination to appropriate staff in Student Housing. The handler is responsible for any damage the service animal may cause to property or other individuals.
For more information about service animals, please see Service Animals Procedures on the DAS website. This policy is overseen by Disability and Accessibility Services.