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A Service Dog's Tale" University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Diversity Committee |
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Home General Information FAQ's Americans With Disabilities Act Department of Justice Order the Video Additional Resources Related Statistics Service Dog Multimedia Related Articles Diversity Home Page |
I. Reasons People Own Dogs America's Dog Owners say they acquired their pets for the following reasons:II. Disability - is any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. Not all disabilities are visible. III. Hearing Dog - any dog which is trained to hear for people with hearing impairments. IV. Seeing-Eye Dog - any dog which is trained to lead people with visual impairments. V. Seizure-Alert Dog - any dog which is trained to alert a person with epilepsy or any seizure disorder about when that person will have a seizure. VI. Seizure-Response Dog - is a Service Dog which is trained to respond, NOT alert to, a seizure. The dog is trained to act appropriately, can be trained to get help, and to help the person recover from the seizure. VII. Service Animal - describes any animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. VIII. 61,000 Recognized Disabilities in the United States IX. 157,323,922 People in the United States suffer from a disability (1990 Census) X. About 1 in 5 Americans have a disability (1997 Census Bureau) XI. About 1 in 10 Americans have a severe disability (1997 Census Bureau) XII. In Arizona there are 2,256,407 people that are classified with a disability between the ages of 16 and 64 (1990 Census) XIII. In Tucson there are 416,076 people that are classified with a disability between the ages of 16 and 64 (1990 Census) XIV. Approximately 15,000 Service Dogs in the United States XV. 59 Million Dogs are recorded in the United States (1997 American Pet Association) XVI. 41 Million Dog Owners in the United States (1997 American Pet Association) XVII. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses that provide goods or services to the general public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into any areas other customers are generally allowed. As a result, individuals with disabilities have equal employment and full access to the same goods, services, facilities and privileges as others. For a full legal description of the Americans with Disabilities Act, please visit our web site (http://cals.arizona.edu/agdiv/servicedog/). XVIII. Public Awareness and Knowledge of Service Dogs in Tucson, Arizona XIV. Need for the Study The need for this study is to raise the public awareness and knowledge of service dogs. With 157,323,922 people suffering from disabilities in the United States and only .009% of those people with service dogs to aid them in their daily functions. With the education that will be brought to the public it is hoped to increase the awareness and legal rights of these animals. XV. Statement of Problem The purpose of this study is to assess the publics awareness and knowledge of service dogs. XVI. Objectives
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