Disability Support Services

Service and Assistance Animals

Northwest College strives to create an environment of equal access and is committed to upholding individual rights through the support of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADAAA as well as The Fair Housing Act.

What is an Assistant Animal?

An assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance, or performs a task for the benefit of a person with a disability, or that provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified effects of a person's disability. An assistance animal is not a pet.

Individuals with a disability may request to keep an assistance animal as a reasonable accommodation in situations that meet all the following conditions:

• A request was made to the housing provider by or for a person with a disability.
• The request was supported by reliable disability-related information, if the disability and the disability-related need for the animal were not apparent, and
• The housing provider has not demonstrated that:
  • Granting the request would impose an undue financial burden on the housing provider
  • The request would fundamentally alter the essential nature of the housing provider's operations
  • The specific assistance animal in question would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others despite any other reasonable accommodations that could eliminate or reduce the threat
  • The request would not result in significant physical damage to the property of others despite any other reasonable accommodations that could eliminate or reduce the physical damage.
  • The request would violate city ordinance.

Requesting an Assistant Animal contact Disability Services at 307-754-6135 or email DisabilitySupportServices@nwc.edu.