Let's Talk About Assistance Dogs
In this instalment of 'Let's Talk About Disability', we are talking about Assistance Dogs.
Annually in August, International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) is celebrated. IADW was created to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals mitigate disabilities.
Assistance dogs are highly-trained animals whose job it is to help a disabled handler traverse the world around them. They come in all shapes and sizes, though Labradors and Golden Retrievers are by far the most common, pretty much any breed of dog can be trained to provide assistance.
7,000 people in the UK rely on an assistance dog, the majority of whom are guide dog handlers, but also include dogs trained to help wheelchairs users, people with other physical disabilities, D/deaf or autistic people, as well as medical detection.
Not familiar with this instalment's theme? Find out more by clicking below:
What is an assistance dog?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission states that Assistance Dogs:
- are not pets and are treated as “auxiliary aids”,
- are highly trained,
- will not wander freely around the premises,
- will sit or lie quietly on the floor next to their owner and are trained to go to the toilet on command and so are unlikely to foul in a public place.
- Most are instantly recognisable by the harness or identifying dog jacket they wear.
Assistance Animals for Disabled People Policy
We recognise that some disabled staff and students may need to use an assistance dog, and under the Equality Act 2010, assistance dogs are permitted on the University grounds. The Assistance Animals for Disabled People Policy outlines the way in which we will manage the provision of campus access for assistance animals as part of our commitment to creating a diverse campus.What assistance dogs can do
Assistance animals, who are sometimes called ‘service animals’ overseas, include:
- Dogs trained to perform daily personal care tasks (for example, retrieving or carrying items, opening and closing doors, switching lights on and off, pulling laundry from washing machines) or mobility assistance (for example, pulling wheelchairs or helping with balance) for people with physical disabilities including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or suffering long-term impacts after a serious accident.
- Guide (or ‘seeing eye’) dogs to assist people with vision impairments to move around safely.
- Hearing (or ‘hearing ear’) dogs to alert people with hearing impairments.
- Medical alert dogs (such as for the detection of impending seizures in people with epilepsy or of blood sugar changes in people with diabetes).
- Psychiatric assistance dogs to interrupt anxiety, alert to triggering situations and wake from a nightmare for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other mental health related disabilities, traumatic brain injury, etc.
How to behave around assistance dogs
Many people don’t know how to act around assistance dogs, but the etiquette is pretty simple - pretend the dog is not there, just the person. You’ll be able to tell a working dog by the harness or jacket they’re wearing, or by the special slip on their lead.
Assistance dogs are highly trained working dogs, performing tasks to assist disabled people to enable their owners to be independent.
Distracting a dog in any way can be dangerous for the handler, so never you shouldn't:
- Touch or feed an assistance dog, unless invited to do so by their owner.
- Deliberately distract or startle an assistance dog.
- Separate or attempt to separate an assistance dog from the person using their service.
Assistance dogs are mobility aids - very cute, fluffy ones, but mobility aids nonetheless!
Accessibility updates
We have dedicated Accessibility Updates webpages to update our community on our accessibility Initiatives as well as important updates that may affect accessibility at the University. You can subscribe to email notifications directly from the webpage when new news items are added to keep up to date.
Students' Union
Find out more about the work of the Students' Union Disabled Students’ Officer and Warwick Enable - the disability liberation and campaigning society on campus for disabled students, their friends, allies and carers or enablers, and anyone who is passionate about disability and inclusivity.
Staff Network
Join the Disabled Staff Network. The network is open to all staff members with an interest in making the University a more accessible place for all and creating a more inclusive environment.
PEEPs
If you feel that you need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for safe evacuation of a building in an emergency the Independent Assessment Tool will help the University identify the appropriate emergency response requirements and the assistance you may require.Adjustments
Get adjustments to support you in your work or studies.
- Adjustments for staff: MAP is a tool to help you to have meaningful and confidential conversations with your line manager or other University representative.
- Adjustments for students: Disability Services can support you to access a range of adjustments, exam arrangements, advice, and one to one study skills support.
BDF resources
As members of the Business Disability Forum, the University has access to a range of Member Resources including toolkits, factsheets, case studies, videos, and webinars to help you understand more about how to be disability inclusive. Just sign up with your University email address to get a free account.
Membership also grants us unlimited access to BDF's confidential Advice Service, a team of expert advisers who are enthusiastic about improving disabled people’s experiences of employment and users of services.
We are committed to creating a culture in which diversity is recognised, understood, and valued. To do this, we need your help to better understand the make-up of our community - please answer the diversity monitoring questions on your personal record. Staff can update on SuccessFactors and students on Student Records Online. It should only take a few minutes of your time. Find out more about what we ask and how we use it.