Learn about the rights and responsibilities of riders and transit operators regarding service animals and transit systems. This open-captioned video (10-minutes, 18 seconds) is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and a regional center in the ADA National Network.

The video describes the purpose of the ADA, defines what a service animal is under the law and what tasks they are trained to perform. The film can be understood by all audiences, especially those with a limited understanding of ADA and civil rights. Most importantly, it describes the difference between service animals and emotional support or therapy animals, a source of confusion for many transit operators.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fAuoZjVYw0

Learn more about the training video: https://adasoutheast.org/southeast-ada-center-releases-instructional-video-on-service-animals-and-transit-systems/

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of a service animal?

Under Department of Transportation (DOT) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations at 49 C.F.R. Section 37.3, “service animal” is defined as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.” DOT ADA regulation 49 C.F.R. Section 37.167(d) requires transit entities to permit service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in vehicles and facilities. Appendix D to Section 37.167 contains further important information on service animals. It is important to note that while the U.S. Department of Justice has amended the definition of “service animal” for purposes of its ADA regulations under Titles II and III of the ADA, for state and local governments and places that are open to the public, the definition under DOT ADA regulations for transportation has not changed. Therefore, members of the public may find that some service animals may no longer be considered service animals once they leave a transportation system.

Link to FTA’s FAQ