Living Independently

St. Vrain Valley Voices: Laws outline accommodation of service, companion animals

By Susan Spaulding and Diane Groff

Diane Groff

In light of your front-page story of Feb. 18 regarding a renter’s legal right to keep a service animal or a companion animal, even in a rental unit that does not allow pets, we hope this short summary is helpful for your readers.

Three federal laws give people the right to request assistance from an animal: the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws describe two types of assistance animals: service animals and companion animals. A person is entitled to the aid of an assistance animal after following a specific process for requesting a reasonable accommodation.

Places of public accommodation and housing have different standards for enforcement of disability law pertaining to assistance animals. The bottom line, however, is that the law requires places of public accommodation to allow patrons the use of service animals on their premises, and the law requires housing providers to allow tenants the use of both service and companion animals.

A person requesting an accommodation for their service or companion animal has to provide information on how assistance from that animal directly provides service or companionship relating to the person’s disability needs. Requests for accommodation should be made in writing, if possible.

A landlord also has rights. The landlord has the right to know if the tenant meets the definition of disabled as described under the Fair Housing laws, and if the accommodation necessary and reasonable. Also, importantly, a housing provider does not need to know the nature of the disability, but only the substantial limitation that the disability presents for the individual.

Service Dog relaxing in the shade

There are at least two excellent resources in the city of Longmont for assistance in understanding and navigating the process: the city of Longmont’s Community and Neighborhood Resources, at 303-651-8444, and the Center for People with Disabilities, Longmont office, at 303-772-3250. Feel free to contact either resource if you have any questions.

Further, the city sponsors the Longmont Landlord Training Alliance, a free training held every second Wednesday of the month at the Senior Center. The Landlord Training Alliance will hold a Fair Housing training at its July meeting, July 11, with attorney Phyllis Roestenberg.

Susan Spaulding is a community relations specialist with the city of Longmont. Diane Groff is the manager of the Longmont office of the Center for People with Disabilities.

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By Beth Gustin

Beth Gustin

Short story of validation that to me is a reminder of why we do what we do, and that we are where we are meant to be.

I started a new group in Denver in December.  The group had tried to form before but faded out, so it was a surprise to me when six individuals came to the first group.  A general discussion was held explaining a multitude of options and possibilities for a myriad of situations one might face when experiencing vision loss.  Labeling and marking appliances came up and the residents wanted to mark their mailboxes and washers and dryers.  I was told that someone would have to talk to “the powers that be” and that it may be a challenge.

The next month I brought labeling as the topic including a variety of labeling options.  I gave examples of a few types of dots used to mark appliances to a resident who is on the Residents’ council and who was in contact with “the powers that be.”

Beth Gustin

Today, someone from maintenance came to the group and was extremely excited and willing to help make mailboxes, keyholes in doors, and washers and dryers accessible.  She had already ordered more dots, and planned to keep a supply on hand for any new residents with vision loss.  She took down names and apartment numbers and stated the requested dots would be on their doors or mailboxes by tomorrow.  She also was interested in using fabric paint or other more permanent marking for the community washers and dryers.

Pretty neat when a facility cares so much about their residents, and embraces accessibility!

We are now tackling the non-working CCTV in their computer lab, as it apparently may just need to be plugged in and then training given to individuals to use it.

Thanks for reading,

Beth

Beth Gustin MA, NCC, LPC
LSAC Program Manager
Adjustment Counseling Program
OIB Coordinator
Beyond Vision Program
Center for People With Disabilities
10351 Grant Street Suite 1
Thornton, CO 80229
P: 303.790.1390
C: 720.308.3087
e-mail: beth@cpwd.org

Independent Living Beth, Beth Gustin, CPWD, OIB