Service Animals and Support Persons

ADLER policy does not allow animals to be in classrooms and common areas, with the exception of service animals. ALDER openly welcomes service animals and support persons to accompany staff, faculty, and students requiring such support while on the ADLER premises. Service animals and support persons are permitted anywhere staff, faculty, or students normally have access. Support persons may include personal support workers, volunteers, family members, or a friend. ADLER will not charge admissions fees for support persons who support a person with a disability. (Noted in the fees section of the Academic Calendar). Service animals must meet the AODA criteria, and students with service animals must be able to provide appropriate certification attesting to their status.  From the Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Integrated Accessibility Standards (O. Reg. 165/16, s. 16.: “For the purposes of this Part, an animal is a service animal for a person with a disability if,

1. the animal can be readily identified as one that is being used by the person for reasons relating to the person’s disability, as a result of visual indicators such as the vest or harness worn by the animal; or
2. the person provides documentation from one of the following regulated health professionals confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to the disability:
1. A member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario.
2. A member of the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.
3. A member of the College of Nurses of Ontario.
4. A member of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.
5. A member of the College of Optometrists of Ontario.
6. A member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
7. A member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
8. A member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
9. A member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario. “

Accommodations for disability are a right protected in Ontario, but as in-person attendance in ADLER classes is mandatory, out of respect for students with allergies or trauma related to animals, students bringing a service animal to classes are required to inform the school ahead of time so instructors and other students can make arrangements to also accommodate other medical concerns.