When are Miniature Horses, Snakes & Birds a Reasonable Accommodation?

You already know that assistance animals must be accommodated under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).  And you familiar with the idea of service dogs under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Get up-to-speed on miniature horses as service animals by understanding when they’re allowed (i.e., “reasonable”), what assistance they can provide, and why they’re actually sometimes more advantageous than dogs?

This webinar will also discuss birds, snakes, and monkeys – what can these less common species can do for those with disabilities and when they fall under the ADA or the FHA?  This session will be chocked full of stories and examples in order to demystify the unknown and calm fears about the horror stories you may have heard.

There’s so much more to the ADA and the FHA than just seeing eye or hearing ear dogs! 

Join!  Expand your understanding of disability protections and the need to accommodate by exploring some less common and oft misunderstood animal accommodation requests. 

Take your understanding of disability-related aid animals to a new level with this unique session. 

Join this session to gain an appreciation for what critters can do for individuals with disabilities and to be prepared for unusual requests that might come your way.

Webinar Objectives

          You will:

• Appreciate the differences (and legal distinctions) between service animals, assistance animals, and pets;
• Be prepared to review your current animal accommodation policies and practices for potential violations;
• Be prepared to handle unusual animal accommodation requests with professionalism and a high level of customer service because you will:
  • Be familiar with them and clear when they may fall under the FHA or the ADA;
  • Be reminded of disability protections and the accommodation / verification process; and
• Have several stories and examples to demonstrate when accommodation is reasonable and necessary, as well as an appreciation of how some very unexpected critters can help those with disabilities.

Webinar Agenda

• Differences (& legal distinctions!) between different critter classifications
• Differences between the FHA & ADA
• Quick review of:
  • Disability protections
  • The reasonable accommodation / verification process
  • HUD guidance on animal accommodations
• Look at many stories & examples to:
  • Demonstrate when accommodating is reasonable & needed;
  • Appreciate the aid some un-common animals can provide;
  • Enable you to review current policies & practices; and
  • Help you handle requests with care & professionalism;
• Q&A

Webinar Highlights

• What qualifies as an “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act;
• How this differs from “pets” and from “service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act;
• What kind of less-common animal requests you might see and how these can, at times, be reasonable;
• Guidance straight from the Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) on how to handle common disability-related aid animal requests;
• HUD’s guidance on how to process unusual requests

Who Should Attend

• Leasing and on-site managers
• Portfolio managers
• Compliance officers
• Resident services coordinators (in affordable housing communities)
• Community concierges (in high-end housing communities)
• Independent landlords or small, “Mom and Pop” operators
• Service technicians, lead technicians, maintenance supervisors
• Homeowners’ association and community managers