2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 2/20/07 Section: Viewpoints
- Page 1 of 1
Service animals helpful
I am writing on the subject of service animals and their place in society today.
How many people here in America are disabled and how many of those people can or could benefit from a service animal?
The real number is not known because of the federal privacy act. From what I have read from different sources up to 32 percent of disabled people could benefit from a service animal.
Now, what is a service animal? Most of us think first of a guide dog for the vision impaired, this is the most common. Next we have the hearing dog for the hearing impaired. Then the service animal for people with physical and psychological disorders.
These service animal is trained to assist the disabled person in a variety of different tasks. These tasks include every thing from pulling wheelchairs, picking up objects, carrying objects (in a backpack), pulling a cart for school books, providing assistance to people with mobility impairments for balance and raising from different positions.
The use of a service animal in psychological disorders is a relatively new area that is still being explored. From what I have read persons with anxiety / panic, depressive and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders have benefited greatly with the use of these animals. These service animals have provide a way for disabled people to socially interact with other people by allowing them to put aside there fear of the unknown and become more independent.
With this new independence, the disabled can participate in a variety of different life opportunities.
Some of these opportunities are, participating with a rehabilitation program, attending college or university, becoming employed and being able to enjoy many other places that were once restricted or inaccessible to the disabled with out a service animal.
There are federal and state laws that protect the disabled person and the service animal.
The first federal law is the Americans with Disability Act. The second is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504).
Both of these acts provide for access for the disabled and their service animal in many different places. Some places are restaurants, theater, retail stores, schools, colleges and universities etc.
If you would like more information on this you can contact the United States Department of Justice ADA hotline at 1-800-514-0301 and for postsecondary education the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights at 1-800-421-3481.
Andrew Michleski
Kenton
I am writing on the subject of service animals and their place in society today.
How many people here in America are disabled and how many of those people can or could benefit from a service animal?
The real number is not known because of the federal privacy act. From what I have read from different sources up to 32 percent of disabled people could benefit from a service animal.
Now, what is a service animal? Most of us think first of a guide dog for the vision impaired, this is the most common. Next we have the hearing dog for the hearing impaired. Then the service animal for people with physical and psychological disorders.
These service animal is trained to assist the disabled person in a variety of different tasks. These tasks include every thing from pulling wheelchairs, picking up objects, carrying objects (in a backpack), pulling a cart for school books, providing assistance to people with mobility impairments for balance and raising from different positions.
The use of a service animal in psychological disorders is a relatively new area that is still being explored. From what I have read persons with anxiety / panic, depressive and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders have benefited greatly with the use of these animals. These service animals have provide a way for disabled people to socially interact with other people by allowing them to put aside there fear of the unknown and become more independent.
With this new independence, the disabled can participate in a variety of different life opportunities.
Some of these opportunities are, participating with a rehabilitation program, attending college or university, becoming employed and being able to enjoy many other places that were once restricted or inaccessible to the disabled with out a service animal.
There are federal and state laws that protect the disabled person and the service animal.
The first federal law is the Americans with Disability Act. The second is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504).
Both of these acts provide for access for the disabled and their service animal in many different places. Some places are restaurants, theater, retail stores, schools, colleges and universities etc.
If you would like more information on this you can contact the United States Department of Justice ADA hotline at 1-800-514-0301 and for postsecondary education the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights at 1-800-421-3481.
Andrew Michleski
Kenton
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