My wife is a dog trainer and deals with service animals often.  She says
that, if a dog is identified as a service dog you need to grant admittance.
You are not allowed to ask someone what their disability is.  You can, if
you want to be a stickler for details, demand to see the prescription from a
physician or mental health expert indicating that a service dog is
required.  Most airlines will demand to see this as they only let service
dogs travel free.

-- 
Dane F. Pollei
Director
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
1900 W. MacArthur St.
Shawnee, OK  74804

ph 405-878-5622
fax 405-878-5133

www.mgmoa.org

On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 10:36 AM, Gayle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have sent this question to my friends who are professional disability
> advocates, and I hipe to be able to provide you soon with the legal answer.
> However, it seems appropriate to give you some guidance now.  Having the
> woman with epilepsy carry the dog was the wrong position to take and of that
> I am certain.
> But it is important to note that service animals are used for a myriad of
> disabilities , and all are considered appropriate accommodations under the
> ADA.
> Service dogs are used by the blind.  There are service dogs that act as
> disability sensors.  But the least understood and most oft discriminated
> against are service animals for those with mental health issues.
> Perhaps Terri Nolinske on this list could be contacted to provide ADA
> training.
>
> Yearous, Jenny Dee wrote:
> >  I am posting this for a colleague you can e-mail her
> > directly if you like at the address listed below.
> >
> >  Would you please ask the
> > museum list serve if they have any guidelines for handling assistance
> animals in
> > their museum?
> >
> >  Are there any requirements
> > for them to have registration or some kind of identifying leash or some
> other
> > adornment?
> >
> >  Recently we had a visitor
> > in with a dog that sensed the onset of her seizures.  The dog had a vest
> > that clearly identified it as an assistance animal.  Unfortunately our
> > staff told her that the dog needed to be carried (it was a rather
> > hefty Jack Russell terrier) and I don't think that was appropriate.
> > Today we had another woman enter with a dog under her arm and staff
> jumped on it
> > right away since they assumed since she was carrying it that it was not
> > necessary.
> >
> >  Beth Campbell   [log in to unmask]
> >  Visitor Services
> > Coordinator
> >  State Historical Society of
> > North Dakota
> > =========================================================
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