Preface
T
his booklet is designed to provide information about the rights of people with disabilities who use
Assistance Dogs.
Assistance Dogs International, Inc. is a coalition of not-for-profit organizations that train and place Assistance Dogs. The purpose of ADI is to improve the areas of training, placement, and utilization of Assistance Dogs as well as staff and volunteer education. Members of ADI meet annually to share ideas, attend seminars, and conduct business regarding such things as educating the public about Assistance Dogs and the legal rights of people with disabilities partnered with Assistance Dogs; setting standards and establishing guidelines and ethics for the training of these dogs; and improving the utilization and bonding of each team. ADI also publishes a newsletter for members and subscribers. If you are a not-for-profit provider of Assistance Dogs, ADI membership will be a benefit to you, and you can be a part of ADI's mission.
ADI'S Mission
The objective of Assistance Dogs International, Inc., is to:
Establish and promote standards of excellence in all areas of Assistance Dog acquisition, training, and partnership;
Facilitate communication and learning among member organizations;
Educate the public to the benefits of Assistance Dogs and ADI membership.
Terminology
ADI uses terminology established by the industry that produces Assistance Dogs. The individuals who
are partnered with these dogs have adopted this terminology. In the United States, terminology used in
access laws varies from state to state and in the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADI is working to
establish consistent terminology internationally.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance Dogs not only provide a specific service to their handlers, but also often greatly enhance their
lives with an increased new sense of freedom and independence.
The three types of Assistance Dogs are GUIDE DOGS for the blind and the visually impaired, HEARING DOGS for the deaf and hard of hearing, and SERVICE DOGS for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing. Although Guide Dogs for the blind have been trained formally for over seventy years, the training of dogs to assist deaf and disabled people is a much more recent concept. There are organizations throughout the world that are training these wonderful dogs.
Assistance Dogs can come from breeding programs with volunteer puppy raisers caring for them until they are old enough to start formal training or in many cases, the dogs are rescued from animal shelters.
Disabled individuals with Assistance Dogs are guaranteed legal access to all places of public accommodation, modes of public transportation, recreation, and other places to which the general public is invited.
Acknowledgments
This booklet was prepared by volunteers of Canine Companions for Independence
in Santa Rosa, California.
Design, Research, and Coordination
Carmen J. Finley, Ph.D.
Locating Online Statutes/Codes
Rosie Bertolini
Grace Schulman
Cheryl Snider
Online Beta Testing
Jill Melendy
Sharon Winterfeld
Leah Volk
Proofreading
Doris Dickenson
Many thanks to the numerous and unnamed law librarians throughout the countries who helped make this research possible.
Copies of this booklet can be obtained by contacting:
Assistance Dogs International
P.O. Box 5174
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
or visit our website at www.adionline.org