6.1 When a service animal request is received, the school will assess each request on a case-by-case basisto determine the appropriate admittance and implementation method for service animals, and whether the service animal can be accommodated to the point of undue hardship. All circumstances of each particular request, including the individual needs of the individual being assisted by the service animal and the needs of other students and staff, will be considered. Where necessary, in the implementation and accommodation process, where the rights and needs of one individual may conflict with another individual’s rights, we will consider and reconcile potential competing rights.
6.2 The school will engage in its procedural duty to accommodate. The individual’s service animal request will be reviewed by the principal in consultation with the individual making the request, the Superintendent of Education for Inclusive Student Services, and the Special Education System Lead and may also involve the Human Rights and Equity Advisor and General Counsel.
6.3 Every effort will be made to review the documentation and schedule a meeting in a reasonable timeframe.
6.4 Whenever possible, a individual with a service animal will inform the principal of the relevant school prior to entering the school that the individual or the student and their service animal wishes to be accommodated by the school, and usually, that the individual or the student and their service animal are trained to work together from a recognized training center/program and have been certified as a low risk to injure the individual or others. The individual will initiate the process by making a request in writing to the school using Appendix A: Application Request for Guide Dog/Service Dog. The applicant, or Principal on their behalf, can consult appropriate system staff (Inclusive Student Services) to obtain further information on the accommodation process.
6.5 Each request for a Guide Dog / Service Dog or Service Animal will be addressed on an
individual basis giving consideration to:
- the individual learning strengths and needs of the student, the student’s IEP goals, safety plan, behaviour plan and/or student’s medical plan of care (if any);
- supporting documents such as psychological assessments, occupational or physical therapy assessments, functional behaviour assessments etc.
- evidence of how the Guide Dog / Service Dog or Service Animal’s attendance at school might support demonstrated disability-related learning needs and/or acts of daily living necessary while at school;
- assessment information provided by a regulated health professional with expertise regarding the student’s disability-related needs supporting the request for a Guide Dog / Service Dog or Service Animal inclusive of how the accommodation will support or enhance the student’s learning and disability related needs in a school environment
- the training and certification of the Guide Dog / Service Dog and student as Handler;
- whether one or more alternative accommodations can meet the needs of the student;
- whether the student’s attendance with a Guide Dog / Service Dog or Service Animal might require an increase in the level of staff support provided to the student;
- whether training will be required for staff and/or the student;
- the impact of the accommodation on the rights and needs of other students and staff in the learning environment
- any potential competing human rights of students, staff, and community members using the school pursuant to a permit;
- recommendations for accommodation plans to reconcile competing rights.
6.6 The process of accommodation, including inquiries regarding competing rights and notice to the school community, shall respect the student’s right to privacy and protect confidentiality regarding their disability and specific learning needs and/or needs of daily living. Appendix C: Checklist for Principals – Consideration & Implementation of a Service Animal and Appendix D: Case Conference Guide are provided to support schools’ teams in navigating applications and implementation.
6.7 Where the student is not the primary Handler, Board staff must be trained as the Handler(s) and accompany the student and dog at all times. As a result, such requests will be individually considered, in accordance with the duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship and the factors outlined in PPM 163 and in the DDSB Human Rights Policy and the Human Rights Inclusive Design and Accommodation Procedure..
6.8 For requests for a service animal other than a dog, the parent/guardian must complete the Request for Service Animal form included in Appendix B of this procedure. These requests will be individually considered, in accordance with the process noted above, the duty to accommodate short of undue hardship and the factors outlined in PPM 163 and in the “Human Rights and Accommodation” section.
6.9 The determination with respect to the application for a Guide Dog / Service Dog / Service Animalshall be communicated to the parent/adult student in writing in accordance with Appendix E: Sample Letters – see either Approving the Guide Dog/Service Dog/Service Animal or Denying Request for the Guide Dog/Service Dog/Service Animal.
6.10 As part of the accommodation process, the DDSB may request additional information and/or documentation to ensure the animal’s presence in school does not present an increased risk of harm to the animal, the individual, the student, and/or other members of the school community.
6.11 Requests for a service animal in the school will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In some instances, requests for additional information and/or documentation may include details such as the cleanliness and size of the support animal, established routines for handling the animal in the event that the animal is separated from its handler, and/or evidence of training to mitigate the risk of harm to the animal, the individual who handles the animal, or others while the animal is at school. Please see Appendix C for expectations regarding the responsibilities of the individual who requires the use of the support animal to command of the animal at school.
6.12 The principal will inform and consult with the Superintendent of Inclusive Student Services and the System Lead - Special Education as part of the accommodation process, to discuss information that may be required to support the accommodation request, accommodation options and implementation considerations.
6.13 A meeting with the school (and Board which may include the Instructional Facilitator and/or Special Education Officer) team supporting the student, the parent/guardian/adult student and student (as appropriate), the health practitioner recommending the Guide Dog / Service Dog or Service Animal for the student, the trainer of the Guide Dog / Service Dog and of the Handler, and any other individuals who may contribute to the accommodation process may be scheduled to review the request for accommodation.
At the meeting, the principal will advise the individual making the service animal request that all costs related to the provision of the service animal are the financial responsibility of the individual.
6.14 The case conference/accommodation consultation (Appendix D: Case Conference Guide) will include a discussion of other information to help determine accommodation options and implementation considerations, identify and address any potential risks, support successful implementation and document decision making. This includes considering potential Human Rights Code related rights and needs of other staff and students and health and safety issues (e.g., severe allergies, staff or students with asthma, fear of animals, cultural or religious needs, etc.), the potential impact of the use of a service animal on the school community, the handling routines and responsibilities, guidelines for staff and students, other student issues, transportation issues, the role of the parent/guardian when the service animal relates to a student, and communication with the parent/guardian on an ongoing basis, the cost of accommodating the service animal, and the resources available to the school.