UZURV Service Animal Policy and Procedures
1. Policy Overview
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and applicable laws in all states where UZURV provides service, customers with disabilities are permitted to travel with service animals. UZURV has established the following policies and procedures to ensure that customers, drivers and UZURV personnel are informed as to the rights and responsibilities of customers traveling with service animals, and of the procedures UZURV will implement to ensure that service remains safe and comfortable for customers, drivers and anyone else utilizing UZURV service.
2. Definitions
Service Animal
Service animals are defined as animals (typically dogs) that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Some State and local laws may define service animal more broadly. Information about such laws can be obtained from the relevant State Attorney General’s office.
Emotional Support Animal
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides a therapeutic benefit (e.g., emotional support, comfort, companionship) to a person with a mental health or psychiatric disability (such as a serious mental health condition). ESAs are not considered service animals because they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks. Instead, it is the presence of the animal that relieves the symptoms associated with a person’s serious mental health condition. Emotional support animals are not considered service animals and are treated as pets under this policy.
Therapy Animal
Therapy Animals are used in clinical settings to bring comfort to individuals in need. Unlike ESAs and Service Animals that are trained to help a single person (their owner), Therapy Animals work in places such as hospitals, mental health institutions, hospices, and schools to bring comfort and affection to many different people. Therapy animals are not considered service animals and are treated as pets under this policy.
Pets
With the exception of service animals (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and herein, all animals are considered pets. Except where required by law or contract, UZURV does not transport pets. For specific rules regarding the transportation of any animal that is not a service animal, customers should check with the agency sponsoring their use of UZURV service or contact UZURV at RiderSupport@uzurv.com.
3. Procedures
- In order to be eligible to drive on the UZURV platform, an individual must pass a course that explains the rights of individuals with disabilities to travel with service animals and that overviews UZURV’s Service Animal Policy and Procedures.
- Before driving on the UZURV platform, every driver must agree to UZURV’s “Driver Terms and Conditions.” These Terms and Conditions state (in part): “You will make accommodation for Riders or service animals as required by law. It is the policy of UZURV to afford individuals with disabilities who require the assistance of a service animal equal access to our service. UZURV Drivers are required to always accommodate service animals. In accordance with ADA regulations, a driver may not refuse service to a customer traveling with a service animal based on the presence of an allergy to animal dander.”
- Unless required by their local sponsoring transportation program, customers are invited, but not required, to advise UZURV that they are traveling with a service animal. If a customer wishes to advise UZURV that they will be traveling with a service animal, they may do so when booking their trip or at any time prior to travel.
- If a customer arrives at the vehicle with an animal who appears to be a service animal, either based on its leash, harness, vest or other equipment, or based on the way it is interacting with its handler (e.g. guiding a blind person, walking next to a person using a wheelchair, etc.) the UZURV driver is expected to treat the animal as a service animal.
- If the customer arrives at the vehicle with an animal who does not appear to be acting as a service animal, either because it is not wearing equipment that is typical of service animals and/or because it is not behaving in a manner appropriate for a service animal, the driver is permitted to ask the following questions, and the customer is required to answer.
Is your animal a service animal necessary due to a disability?
What service is your animal trained to perform? - Drivers are not permitted to request, and customers are not required to provide any documentation “proving” that their animal is a service animal. The ADA explicitly prohibits covered entities from requiring documentation as proof that an animal is a service animal.
- At all times when navigating to, within or from a UZURV vehicle, customers are required to maintain control over their service animals. This means that the service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
- When riding in a vehicle operating on the UZURV platform, the service animal must remain on the floor of the vehicle or in an enclosed carrier on the handler’s lap. Service animals are not permitted to jump, sit or stand on vehicle seats or other locations within the vehicle. A service animal’s handler may be held financially responsible for any damage caused by their service animal that is connected with the failure to adhere to these policies.
- Service animals are not permitted to bark, growl, jump on or lunge at other passengers, other service animals, or the UZURV driver. Service animal handlers are expected to quickly control inappropriate service animal behavior and UZURV reserves the right to deny access to any service animal that exhibits these behaviors and whose handler is unable to quickly control them. A service animal’s handler may be held legally and/or financially responsible for any damage or injuries caused by their service animal.
- In accordance with ADA guidelines, UZURV reserves the right to seek reimbursement from any customer whose service animal causes damage to a UZURV vehicle that results in a documented cleaning or repair expense for UZURV or the vehicle’s owner or driver. Examples may include urinating or defecating in or on the vehicle, soiling a seat, causing a rip, tear or other damage to a vehicle’s interior, etc. UZURV does not consider the presence of animal hair in a vehicle’s interior as damage and will not seek reimbursement for any costs associated with typical vehicle cleaning services.
4. For Questions or to Report Violations
Customers and other members of the public may direct questions by phone to your transit program or by email to RiderSupport@uzurv.com.
Drivers may direct questions and concerns to UZURV by sending an email to Support@uzurv.com.