Accessibility services at Ohio University aim to support students with disability and accessibility needs on campus. Students can use these resources to obtain an emotional support animal to live with them in the dorms.
ESAs provide companionship to individuals with emotional or mental health conditions. Often used interchangeably, the term differs from a service animal. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service animal is “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.”
Atlas Hyacinth, a junior studying human biology, is a resident adviser in Bromley Hall and has a tuxedo cat named Merida.
“I know so many people with ESAs that have certain disabilities that are really affected by being in college, like severe anxiety or PTSD,” Hyacinth said. “Having their emotional support animal is the reason they’re able to stay in college.”
Quinne Williams, a sophomore studying criminology, is an RA in Bromley Hall alongside Hyacinth and has a German shepherd dog named Ivy.
“A dog is a perfect balance for me,” Williams said. “I don’t have to force myself to go out and hang out with people I don’t know. I get a lot of anxiety around stuff like that. So just being here with my dog (is) a lot more low-key for me.”
Unlike service animals, ESAs can be any domesticated animal. Hyacinth said Bromley Hall is home to three dogs, six cats, one rabbit and a hedgehog.
To get an assistance animal registered, students must complete a plethora of forms. The forms include a disabilities accommodation request, approval from a healthcare provider, updated vet records and an in-person interview with an accessibility services representative.
“It just seemed like there’s a never-ending pile of forms that you have to fill out,” Hyacinth said. “It took probably a solid four months before I got her registered from start to finish. It was a really long process.”
Students are granted accommodation for an ESA after completing forms and are approved by accessibility services. After approval students are subjected to an extensive list of rules, too.
According to OU’s policy on assistance animals, owners must keep the animal within the housing unit, ensure the animal is well cared for, abide by any laws and policies surrounding vaccinations and be responsible for any potential damage done by the animal.
Thea Maynard, a sophomore studying psychology, has a Japanese bobtail cat named Ollie. Ollie was rehomed to Maynard last February. When registering Ollie as an ESA, Maynard struggled to get responses from accessibility services and was frustrated by their communication.
“I would send emails, and it would be over a week before I got a response,” Maynard said. “I had to schedule an appointment, ultimately, to get it finalized. I had him for a month before he was approved.”
The process is long and strenuous to ensure the pets are up to date on vaccinations and behaviorally sound. Although time-consuming, accessibility services ultimately aims to “ensure equal opportunity and access for members of the Ohio University community,” according to its mission statement.
"I feel like the experience of people in general, whether they're students or not, is beyond just people," Williams said. "Sometimes people find comfort in animals rather than people, and I think it's beneficial to offer that to students.”
