The document “ADA Service Animals Business Brief” outlines the rights and regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning service animals in business settings. It emphasizes that businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, and stores, must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all customer-accessible areas. Businesses can inquire if an animal is a service animal and what tasks it performs but cannot demand special identification or inquire about the owner’s disability. The document also specifies that service animals are not pets but are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities, such as guiding the blind or alerting the deaf. Extra fees cannot be imposed on service animal users, though they may be charged for damages caused by the animal. Importantly, service animals can only be excluded if they are out of control or pose a direct threat to safety.
Keywords: ADA, service animals, disabilities, public access, businesses, rights, health and safety, discrimination, trained tasks, legal obligations.
