1. Purpose/Abstract
The University of Derby celebrates diversity and recognises the significance and impact of inclusion within an organisation. Our inclusive community of academics and professional service staff work hard to support and enable everyone to thrive and be the best version of themselves.
In line with the Equality Act 2010 the University of Derby Disabilities Service will work with students with disabilities and People Experience and Culture (PEC) with staff with disabilities, to identify support needs and make reasonable adjustments in order to provide a safe and welcoming environment, in which access to study and work is equal for all.
Individuals whose access to work and study is facilitated using mobility aids should not be refused entry on the basis of their disability or reliance on mobility aids, including assistance animals.
2. Introduction
The University of Derby generally prohibits individuals from bringing animals inside any University owned, leased, or controlled buildings, vehicles or structures. There are some exceptions to this, which are listed in section 3.
The main hazards and concerns associated with having animals inside university premises are:
- Stalled or delayed evacuation of a building in an emergency
- Aggressive behaviour of animals
- Allergic reactions and transmission of disease
- Zoophobia (phobia of animals that causes distress or dysfunction in an individual's everyday life)
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Animal waste
- Damage to university property
It is acknowledged that these hazards also apply to university grounds, albeit to a lesser extent.
To minimise these risks, subject to the exceptions given below, animals are not permitted inside university owned, leased, or controlled buildings, vehicles or structures. In addition:
- No animals should be left in parked vehicles on campus.
- Animals must not be brought onto campus or tied up outside buildings.
- Animals are also not permitted in our sports, leisure or entertainment facilities.
3. Scope
An assistance animal, usually a dog, is specially trained to aid an individual with a disability. Guide dogs are the most common type of assistance dog, used by individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Other medical conditions may require the use of assistance dogs: hearing loss, physical impairments, epilepsy or seizure-related disorders etc. A pet or a therapy/emotional support animal is not legally considered an assistance animal (see section 5.3)
The University of Derby recognises that assistance dogs play an important role in the safety and well-being of individuals with a disability. The university allows access to the estate by assistance dogs under the control of their owner and will make reasonable adjustments for their safe access and conduct of duties. Pets and other animals that do not aid of members of the university community and/or do not meet the requirements below are not allowed in the university buildings or maintained grounds.
Assistance dogs must:
- be trained by a member of Assistance Dogs UK (AD(UK)), a coalition of assistance dog organisations listed below or an equivalent organisation in another country.
- have a formal identification in the form of branded jackets or lead slips.
- have the yellow ID booklet from the AD(UK) member organisation. This ID book contains information about the owner and their dog, details of the training organisation who trained the dog and its owner.
There are seven registered charities that form AD (UK), these are:
- Canine Partners
- Dog A.I.D.
- Dogs for the Disabled
- Guide Dogs
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
- Medical Detection Dogs
- Support Dogs
Out of Scope: any animals on university premises which are to support university recognised research and/or teaching and learning. This is covered by a separate University Research Ethics: Procedures and Guidance document.
4. Definitions
The term "staff" will be used to describe those people employed on a contract of employment at UoD, as well as those contracted through an agency, working on consultancy agreements, as contractors, on a voluntary or unpaid basis, or otherwise working for or on behalf of UOD. This Policy details the legal requirements, organisational procedures and best practice applicable to all staff.
The term "student" will be used to describe any student registered with UOD on a module, programme or course of study.
6. Policy Statement
5.1 Owners Responsibilities:
It is recommended that university students with a disability who utilise an assistance dog register in advance with the Student Services Disability Service. Staff with a disability should speak to their line manager to arrange any reasonable adjustments that need to be made to accommodate their assistance dog.
5.1.1 Information
It is advised that assistance dog owners notify the University in advance that they will be bringing an assistance dog onto the estate. In the case of students the Disability Team would be notified, in the case of staff or visitors the relevant Department or College. They should be able to provide information about the animal and its tasks/duties, if or when requested by university staff.
5.1.2 Identification
Assistance dog owners must ensure that their assistance dogs are clearly identifiable using branded jackets and/or lead slips when on duty.
5.1.3 Insurance
Owners are responsible for ensuring that their assistance dogs are covered by full liability insurance and provide a copy to the university if requested.
5.1.4 Access restrictions
Assistance dog owners must respect access restrictions established by the university on grounds of health and safety. Owners must ensure that assistance dogs do not enter staff and students’ privately assigned spaces without permission.
5.1.5 Animal misbehaviour
Assistance dogs are highly trained which means they:
- will not wander freely around the premises
- will sit or lie quietly on the floor next to their owner
- are unlikely to foul in a public place
Preventing and correcting assistance dog’s misbehaviour is the owner’s responsibility. Owners must make sure that their assistance dogs do not cause harm or injury to others and/or damage to university property.
Please note that seizure and other medical alert dogs are trained to behave differently when they detect a potential seizure, and they can appear to be misbehaving. Assistance dog owners should inform colleagues and peers of this, and of the action that should be taken if their dog alerts.
5.1.6 Cleanliness
Assistance dogs are trained and are unlikely to foul in a public place.
Individuals who are registered blind are not required to clean up after their assistance dogs, but they are expected to have received the appropriate training to avoid dog waste on campus. Assistance dog owners share responsibility for the clean-up of the animal’s waste, consistent with reasonable capacity. Owners must take their dog to use the designated areas identified by the University for toilet breaks. In the unlikely event that the dog does foul outside of these designated areas, the owner must report this to the Estates helpdesk on estatesservicecentre@derby.ac.uk who will make arrangements for the area to be cleaned and sanitised.
5.1.7 Animal care and supervision
Animal care is the owner’s responsibility. The owner ensures regular health checks, vaccination and an adequate standard of grooming. Owners are responsible for ensuring the assistance dog has its requirements in relation to feeding, watering and toileting fully met. Student owners of assistance dogs are advised to liaise with Student Services Disability Service to arrange any reasonable adjustments to ensure this. Staff owners of assistance dogs are advised to liaise with their manager to arrange any reasonable adjustments to ensure this. Owners must ensure that assistance dogs are kept on a lead at all times when walking around the University estate or safely harnessed when unsupervised for short periods of time.
Owners of assistance dogs that are ill, in poor health, excessively unclean or unkempt may be required to remove the animal from university premises.
The University of Derby is not responsible for the loss, ill health, or death of the assistance dog.
5.1.8 Animal training
Owners are responsible for the training needs of their assistance dogs, for the correct and safe performance of their duties. A copy of the yellow ID booklet from the AD(UK) member organisation must be available to be shown to university staff if requested.
5.2 Organisational Arrangements
When assistance dogs are in university properties, we may need to agree reasonable site-specific guidelines. Assistance dog users are required to comply with the conditions of the policy. Under this provision, the university requires that:
- Access requirements involving assistance dogs are legitimate and pre-agreed with the University. For students this will be via Student Services, Disability Service and for staff and/or visitors via the respective College or Department
- Suitable arrangements for the animals’ safe access to and conduct of work in the university are made. For students this will be via Student Services, Disability Service and for staff and/or visitors via the respective College or Department
- All concerned parties (co-workers, classmates, other residents, etc. concerned about an assistance animal in their place or work, study, living) are consulted and advised on safe practice and appropriate behaviour.
- The assistance dog owner agrees to the terms and conditions of use of assistance dogs within the university as outlined in this policy.
The Disability Service offers the following arrangements, for its registered students, to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for assistance dogs, their owners, and other members of the residential and campus community:
Support and advisory services from the Disability Service
- A mutually agreed Student Support Plan that sets out any reasonable adjustments required
- Arrival or pre-arrival site orientation
- Visits by the assistance dog’s trainer are encouraged in the early settling-in days
- Assistance dog route safety check (for hazards and obstructions)
- Provision or identification of designated spending pens or relief area/s for the toilet needs of assistance dogs on the premises or off-site,
- Within rooms and enclosed spaces on university premises, to ensure there is sufficient space for assistance dogs within reach of owner (under a table or in a corner)
- Provision of water bowls, if requested
Similar arrangements can also be put in place to support any staff or visitors who may require the use of an assistance animal whilst on campus. PEC can provide advice and guidance about making reasonable adjustments to enable a member of staff with a disability to work at the university. Access to Work is also available for recommendations.
5.2.1 Compliance, Awareness and Training
Student Services will ensure that staff, students, and other members of the university community are provided with adequate training to respond to the needs of the assistance dog, its owner, and all those in contact with the assistance dog.
Student Services will ensure that practice is conformable to current legislation.
5.2.2 Notification
Students requiring the support of an assistance dog are advised to register with Student Services, Disability Service. It is noted that an assistance dog is part of a reasonable adjustment to enable an individual to fully participate in university life, and so the university will take measures to mitigate the conflict without barring the assistance dog. Where a student is registered with the Disability Service the service will;
- provide prior notice to staff, students and University partners living or working in close proximity to the assistance dog.
- Consultation and advisory services will be offered to all affected parties.
Similar arrangements can also be put in place to support any staff or visitors who may require the use of an assistance animal whilst on campus. Student Services will provide a range of advice and guidance to line managers and PEC to support this.
5.2.3 Infrastructure
Estates will co-ordinate the identification and, if necessary, installation of appropriate relief areas such as spending pens.
Estates will manage the upkeep of spending pens including the regular provision of refuse bins.
5.2.4 Emergency Evacuation
The University sets out a safe and suitable emergency evacuation plan for assistance dogs and their owners.
Health and Safety in conjunction with Disability Service to brief assistance dog owners on emergency evacuation procedures. Details will be contained within the individual PEEP
Health and Safety to make information on emergency evacuation available for reference in accessible formats.
Health and Safety to ensure that emergency responders are trained to make reasonable efforts to keep assistance dogs with their owners in the event of an emergency situation. However, the emergency responder’s priority should be toward the safety of the owner.
5.2.5 Orientation
Where a student is registered with the Disability Service the service will;
- conduct pre-arrival and arrival site orientation.
- organise guided assistance in the event of route variations, relocation, or when access to specific areas are restricted.
Similar arrangements can also be put in place to support any staff or visitors who may require the use of an assistance animal whilst on campus. Student Services will provide a range of advice and guidance to line managers and Human resources to support this.
Please note that Assistance Dogs are highly trained working dogs, performing tasks to assist disabled persons. Members of the University community should not: -
- touch or feed an Assistance Dog, unless invited to do so by their owner;
- deliberately distract or startle an Assistance Dog;
- separate or attempt to separate an Assistance Dog from the person using the Assistance Dog’s service.
5.3 Therapy Animals
A therapy animal is an animal prescribed to an individual as part of a treatment process for a physical or mental condition. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a type of therapy that involves animals as a form of treatment. The goal of AAT is to improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.
Unlike an assistance dog, a therapy animal does not facilitate mobility for its owner or user or assist with daily tasks and need not always accompany its owner. In addition to this there is no current recognition for these to be classed as assistance animals under UK law. Emotional support or therapy animals are therefore not permitted inside any building, workspace, or office environment on any University of Derby campus.
The university will continue to monitor their legal status and update this guidance accordingly.
5.4 Working Animals
An animal, usually a dog, which provides other services within the University, such as assisting in law enforcement. Such animals are permitted within university premises with the consent of the University.
5.5 Pets
A pet is defined as a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
The University recognises that pets are an important part of many staff and student members lives however, they are not permitted inside any building, workspace, or office environment on any University of Derby campus.
5.6 Removal of Assistance Dog
The University reserves the right to remove or bar entry to an Assistance Dog when it poses a direct threat to the health & safety of others. Unresolved animal misbehaviour may also provide grounds for removal, after reasonable measures have been taken to address this.
5.7 Damage
Assistance Dog owners are responsible for any damage to persons or university property.
5.8 Restricted access
The university may restrict access of Assistance Dogs to certain areas for health and safety reasons.
Restricted areas may include research laboratories, medical facilities, areas where protective clothing is required, boiler rooms, etc. Applications for exceptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by Student Services, Disability Service for students and line manager for staff and visitors with the additional support of Health and Safety.
5.9 Conflicting disabilities
Where an Assistance Dog poses adverse health risk to a/other student(s), the university will seek medical documentation from the affected party/parties to determine suitable alternative and equitable arrangements for either or both parties.
It is noted that an assistance dog is part of a reasonable adjustment to enable an individual to fully participate in university life, and so the university will take measures to mitigate the conflict without barring the assistance dog.
5.10 Religious or cultural conflicts
Religious or cultural beliefs cannot be used to prohibit access to Assistance Dogs and their owners.
6. Sanctions
Failure to comply with this policy may be formally investigated under the University’s Disciplinary policy for staff (available on the staff intranet) and Student Conduct Procedures
7. Related Information
Further support, information and guidance can be found from the following;
Guide Dogs
www.guidedogs.org.uk
guide dogs@guidedogs.org.uk
0845 241 2178
Assistance Dogs UK
www.assistancedogs.org.uk
01844 348 100
Canine Partners
www.caninepartners.co.uk
info@caninepartners.co.uk
08456 580 480
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
www.hearing-dogs.co.uk
info@hearingdogs.org.uk
The Royal National Institute of Blind People
www.rnib.org.uk
0303 123 999
Support Dogs
www.support-dogs.org.uk
supportdogs@btconnect.com
0870 609 3476
Dogs A.I.D
www.dogaid.org.uk
01743 588 469
Dogs for the Disabled
www.dogsforthedisabled.org
info@dogsforthedisabled.org
08700 776 600
Medical Detection Dogs
www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk
01296 655 888
8. Equality Analysis
An equality analysis (EA) has been conducted in relation to this policy. It is not expected that this policy will have adverse impact on a specific group or individuals. The EA will be regularly revisited, in line with any Policy review, or sooner if required.