Emotional Support Animals in Classrooms & Common Spaces – On-Demand Training

Practical Rules & Application Policies for Reasonable Accommodations Outside of Housing Universities, by now, are well versed on the ADA laws pertaining to service animals, however there is still confusion and lack of guidance surrounding Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) or other types of assistance, therapy or comfort animals outside of housing. The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has recent settlements regarding ESAs classifying these as “reasonable accommodation” issues but there has been little to no guidance - magnifying the confusion for colleges administrators. Understanding and complying with federal laws and regulations is no longer just the responsibility of legal counsel. Every area of campus plays a role in ensuring an institution is compliant with federal and state laws and Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Facilities and others play a large part in that. Now more than ever, it is critical to enable faculty and staff members to understand their l