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History
Brief of Assistance Service Dogs
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The first regular use
of animals to assist individuals with disabilities was probably the
training of dogs to assist people who were visually impaired.
The first dog guide school in the United States was The Seeing
Eye, Inc. established in 1929.
For many years The Seeing Eye was the only training school for
dog guides in this country.
Since
the 1960’s, the practice of using animals to enhance the lives of
individuals with disabilities (not just visually impaired individuals)
has become more widespread.
Founded in 1975, Canine
Companions for Independence (CCI) was organized to provide
highly-trained assistance dogs for children and
adults with disabilities. Assistance
Dogs International, Inc. (ADI), a coalition of not for profit
organizations founded in 1987 that train and place assistance dogs, developed
minimum standards, guidelines and
ethics for its member organizations to follow.
The first Federal
legislation to directly address public access rights of people with
disabilities who have service animals was the Air
Carrier Access Act of 1986. The act amended the Federal
Aviation Act of 1958 to provide that prohibitions of discrimination
against people with disabilities apply to air carriers. In a
comprehensive housing rights bill, The
Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, specific rights to people with
disabilities were provided for by prohibiting discrimination in the sale
or rental of a dwelling based on handicap. Additionally, national
access rights for people with disabilities to be accompanied by their
service animals became a reality with the passage of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The
use of service animals has greatly improved the quality of life for
people with disabilities. While people with disabilities in
America still confront barriers, the three major Federal laws mentioned
above aim to defeat such discrimination by guaranteeing access and
accommodation rights to people with disabilities who use service
animals.
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