Medical Center to Change Its Policies after Refusing to Allow Service Animal to Accompany Individual with a Disability into Hospital

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has decided that St. Edward Mercy Medical Center (Mercy) violated [Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973][1] (Section 504). Mercy refused to let an individual with a lumbar and spinal disability enter the hospital with his service animal. The hospital claimed that the man's service animal was not a "seeing eye dog". Under Section 504, access cannot be restricted to service animals used only by persons who are blind or have low vision.

[1]: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf

URL: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/01/20120103a.html