Welcome aboard! Assisting passengers traveling with service animals

Under the sponsorship of Project ACTION of the National Easter Seals Society, CUTR recently conducted a project that resulted in a final report, a training module, and audiovisual materials for transit and paratransit drivers who provide service to passengers traveling with service animals.

A wide variety of service animals are now being trained to assist persons with disabilities. These animals are not pets but are animals individually trained to perform specific tasks for their human partners. Service animals include:

  • guide dogs (or dog guides) for persons who have visual impairments,
  • service animals (such as dogs, cats, monkeys, or pigs) for persons who have physical disabilities,
  • hearing and signal animals (such as dogs and cats) for persons who are deaf or have hearing impairments,
  • seizure-response/alert animals (such as dogs, cats, or birds) that alert individuals with seizure disorders to oncoming seizures and/or help the individual during and following the seizure,
  • emotional support animals (such as dogs and cats) that provide assistance for persons with severe emotional impairments or mental disabilities, and
  • dogs that are cross-trained to provide a combination of assistance, such as guiding a visually impaired person while pulling his or her wheelchair.

Americans with Disability Act

With passage of the civil rights legislation known as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), persons who use service animals gained new access rights to public and private accommodations, among them the right to use public transportation provided by public and private entities (49 CFR 37.167). Included in ADA regulations is the right of a person traveling with a service animal to have equal access to public transportation accommodations.

Although references to service animals comprise a relatively small part of the ADA, in practice the regulations pose some significant operational issues for public transportation providers. For example, although service animals are defined in ADA, there are no criteria requiring identification or certification of a service animal. The identification issue is compounded when a person has a hidden disability (such as epilepsy) and travels with a service animal (such as a seizure-response/alert dog or cat). Many service animals wear a harness, cape, or backpack, often with some form of identification. Nonetheless, service animals are not required to be certified or registered, which can make it difficult for drivers to distinguish between a pet and a service animal.

Implementation issues

Implementing public policy directives, including the service animal provisions of ADA, is not always easy. For public transportation providers, a whole host of issues can arise, such as: How does a driver know if it’s a service animal? What is a driver supposed to do when a service animal team boards the train, bus, or van? What if a driver is allergic to dogs (or cats)? What if the animal has an “accident” onboard the vehicle? What if the dog leaves dog hair or fleas behind? What if the animal bites someone?

Assistance techniques and general guidelines

The ADA does not specifically mention requirements for service animal training, animals in training, or penalties for interference with a service animal team. Likewise, service animal trainers are not “certified” and may be independent or affiliated with a service animal training school. Some individuals with disabilities train their own service animals.

Different service animal trainers teach different methods for boarding and alighting from transit vehicles, often tailored to meet the needs of the individual and his or her service animal. However, there are a few general rules that should be followed:

  • Passengers should not be stereotyped based on their disabilities. For example, drivers should not assume that all persons with visual impairments require the same level of assistance.
  • Passengers should be asked what can be done to assist them.
  • Service animals should not be touched or given any commands unless at the request of their handlers.
  • If necessary, passengers should be reminded that the service animal is working and should not be distracted.
  • If the passenger is ambulatory, the service animal might board and alight with the passenger. If the passenger is using a wheelchair, the service animal might board first and alight after the passenger.
  • In most cases, because of safety concerns, service animals should not be allowed to ride on wheelchair lifts. Their tails, paws, heads, or equipment may catch in the lift mechanism, causing severe injury to the animal. An exception might be a standee traveling with a service animal who boards using a lift.
  • Service animals should not sit or lie on the floor unless riding in a vehicle where there is enough room on the floor. Service animals should not block the passenger aisle.
  • Some people have hidden disabilities, making it hard to know the person has a disability and even harder to identify a service animal. Drivers should ask the passenger if the animal is a service animal.
  • Identification or proof that an animal is a service animal cannot be required. Drivers may ask, however, "Is this a service animal?".
  • The best advice is to use common sense and courtesy. Drivers should avoid confrontations and call dispatch if there is a problem or question.

The final report for this project, "Assisting Passengers Traveling with Service Animals," the training module, and a set of 20 slides are available through Project ACTION in Washington, D.C., by calling (202) 347-3066.

"If the public would use common courtesy and common sense with service animals, that would go a long way toward solving the problem," said Robert Carlson, Project Manager for Project ACTION. "We hope these materials will help public transportation providers to better understand the needs of their passengers traveling with service animals."

For more information about this project, contact CUTR Paratransit Program Manager Rosemary G. Mathias at mathias@cutr.usf.edu, (813) 974-9787.

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