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made by Steve Appel - www.boltpeople.com
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by Mazey Milligan
Assistance
Dogs
Assistance
dogs are specifically trained to assist a person with a
disability. Disabilities may be a result of birth, injury,
illness or aging. There are many laws
that protect assistance dog users. The Americans with Disability
Act defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog,
or other animal individually trained to provide assistance
to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition,
animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless
of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state
or local government. Assistance dogs can be trained to assist
with a variety of disabilities including:
-
Physical
Disabilities
Service dogs assist people with compromised physical
abilities by retrieving objects, aiding with transitional
movements, opening doors, operating light or door opening
devices, pulling a wheel chair, assisting with undressing,
and similar tasks.
-
Psychiatric
Disabilities
Psychiatric service dogs are capable of redirecting
the handler during dissociative spells, locating a person
or place during a panic attack, providing physical barriers
from others, retrieving medications, interrupting hallucinations
or providing comforting behaviors. (Service Dog Central,
2007)
-
Seizure/Specific
Medical Response
Seizure/Medical Response dogs assist by alerting another
person who can help, retrieving a phone, or operating
a switch to call for help. There have been reports that
some dogs can detect an upcoming medical crisis (such
as a seizure or low blood sugar) many minutes before
it happens allowing the handler to take preventative
or prescriptive measures.
-
Visual
Impairments
Guide dogs enhance community mobility by helping people
compensate for visual impairments by alerting them to
obstacles.
-
Hearing
Impairments
Hearing dogs respond and alert to
sounds such as doorbells, phones, crying infants, smoke
detectors, and alarm clocks.
Assistance Dog Etiquette:
When you see a person with an assistance dog, it is important
to remember to speak to the person first. The dog is working
and needs to maintain its attention to the handler. Think
of an assistance dog as assistive technology. You would
not approach a person who uses a wheelchair, jump in the
seat and go for a ride; in the same manner, avoid speaking
to or reaching out to the assistance dog. Ask the handler
if it is okay to interact with their dog.
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