Can you bring a guide dog into an office?

Answer 1

You should be able to since the dog is assisting you.

If you are a customer coming in from the public you may bring your service animal anywhere you are normally allowed to go under Title III of the ADA (1990).

If you are an employee of a firm and work in an office you must inform your work of your disability and request to bring your service animal to work with you under Title I of the ADA (1990).

Does the ADA apply to the workplace?

Title I of the ADA applies to the workplace. It's not exactly the same as Title III which applies to public accommodations in that access is not necessarily automatic. You may have to provide your employer with proof of your disability and need for a service animal in the form of a letter from your treating physician. Other state and Federal Laws may also apply in some instances.

Issues involving employment and service animals should be directed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. To find the EEOC office near you, check the EEOC web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/offices.html. You also can call the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000/1-800-669-6820 (TTY).

Title I requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of employment-related opportunities available to others. For example, it prohibits discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social activities, and other privileges of employment. It restricts questions that can be asked about an applicant's disability before a job offer is made, and it requires that employers make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship. Religious entities with 15 or more employees are covered under title I.

Business must provide reasonable accommodations to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Possible changes may include restructuring jobs, altering the layout of workstations, or modifying equipment. Employment aspects may include the application process, hiring, wages, benefits, and all other aspects of employment. Medical examinations are highly regulated.

Service Dogs are barred from certain locations in the workplace: kitchens (where food is prepared), clean rooms. The workplace should make every effort to accommodate before denying a Service Animal.

ADA Title 3 - Public Acces with a Service dog

Title III covers businesses and nonprofit service providers that are public accommodations, privately operated entities offering certain types of courses and examinations, privately operated transportation, and commercial facilities. Public accommodations are private entities who own, lease, lease to, or operate facilities such as restaurants, retail stores, hotels, movie theaters, private schools, convention centers, doctors' offices, homeless shelters, transportation depots, zoos, funeral homes, day care centers, and recreation facilities including sports stadiums and fitness clubs. Transportation services provided by private entities are also covered by Title III.

Public accommodations must comply with basic nondiscrimination requirements that prohibit exclusion, segregation, and unequal treatment. They also must comply with specific requirements related to architectural standards for new and altered buildings; reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures; effective communication with people with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities; and other access requirements. Additionally, public accommodations must remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense, given the public accommodation's resources.

Courses and examinations related to professional, educational, or trade-related applications, licensing, certifications, or credentialing must be provided in a place and manner accessible to people with disabilities, or alternative accessible arrangements must be offered.

Commercial facilities, such as factories and warehouses, must comply with the ADA's architectural standards for new construction and alterations.

All new construction and modifications must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. For existing facilities, barriers to services must be removed if readily achievable. Public accommodations include facilities such as restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, retail stores, etc., as well as privately owned transportation systems.

Service Dogs must be allowed to enter with their handler, may not be questioned beyond the greeter and may not be treated differently. Religious beliefs or allergies are not valid excuses to deny access.