Knowra Service animal Service animal A service animal is trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. Examples include guiding a blind person and alerting someone to an oncoming seizure.
Guide dog : A dog trained to guide a person who is blind or has low vision around obstacles and hazards. Guide dogs are a well-known example of mobility assistance by a service animal.
Disability : A physical, mental, sensory, intellectual, or other impairment that can substantially affect a person's activities or participation. Service-animal tasks are performed in connection with a handler's disability.
Emotional support animal : An animal that provides comfort or emotional support, generally without task training for a disability. Emotional support alone does not meet the task-based definition used in some service-animal laws.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 : A United States civil rights law prohibiting disability discrimination in areas including employment, public services, and public accommodations. Its public-accommodation rules define service animals for many U.S. settings.
Seizure response dog : A dog trained to respond to a person's seizure, for example by fetching help or activating an alert device. This task illustrates how an animal can assist during a medical emergency.
Task training : Training that teaches an animal to perform specific behaviors reliably in response to cues or situations. A trained task, rather than an animal's mere presence, is central to the concept.
Therapy animal : An animal that participates with a handler in visits or programs intended to benefit other people. Therapy animals serve broader groups rather than performing disability-related tasks for one handler.
Disability rights movement : A movement seeking equal rights, accessibility, and social inclusion for disabled people. Service-animal access forms part of broader efforts to remove barriers to participation.
Diabetic alert dog : A dog trained to detect scent changes associated with blood-glucose levels and alert its handler. It shows how trained scent detection can support management of a disability-related condition.
Animal-assisted intervention : A structured intervention that intentionally includes animals to support human health, education, or wellbeing. Service animals are one specific form of human-animal support.
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