UTMB follows the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended (ADAAA) regarding the appropriate use of service animals at our facilities.
A service animal is defined by the ADA as any breed and size of dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities.
Some common tasks include:
- Guiding a person who is blind or has low vision
- Alerting a person to a sound
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure
- Reminding a person to take medication
- Calming a person during an anxiety attack
- Retrieving dropped items, pressing elevator buttons, etc.
The work or tasks a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. A dog whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support does not qualify as a service animal under
the ADA.
A service animal is not required to be certified or go through a professional training program and does not have to wear a vest or other type of identification.
Employee requiring the use of a service animal in the workplace must have a permanent job accommodation.
To request an accommodation, please contact UTMB’s Institutional ADA Office at hrada@utmb.edu or (409) 747-4818. All accommodations are considered on an individual basis through a collaborative
process.
Related Resources
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website
UTMB Service Animals Policy
Employee Accommodations website