Invisible disabilities, visible Service Dogs: the discrimination of Service Dog handlers

Abstract

This article examines the social experiences of Service Dog handlers using survey data from adult US Service Dog handlers (N = 482). The main research question examined is how disability visibility impacts the experiences of Service Dog-related discrimination. Analysis reveals that half of all Service Dog handlers report experiencing discrimination but those with invisible disabilities report experiencing significantly more discrimination. For those with invisible disabilities, the decision to use a Service Dog prevents them from ‘passing’ while at the same time opening them up to increased skepticism about the legitimacy of their disability.

Keywords:

• Service Dog
• disability
• discrimination
• stigma
• invisible disability

Notes

1. According to the ADA, in addition to dogs, miniature horses can also be Service Animals in some cases. However, the focus of this article is on Service Dogs only and as such consistently uses the terminology ‘Service Dogs’ for purposes of clarity.

2. It is important to note that this issue is briefly acknowledged but not examined by some (for example, Eddy et al. 1988; Lane et al. 1998).

3. Although there is correlation between these four different measures of discrimination, it is important to note that theoretically and empirically they are measuring distinct aspects of discrimination (analysis available upon request).

4. One of Williams et al.’s (1997) items, ‘People act as if they are afraid of you,’ was not included in this analysis because of the high correlation with the breed of Service Dog – not the focus of the present article.

5. At the same time, however, business owners and their employees should be educated on their legal rights when it comes to Service Dogs and when they can ask them to leave their establishment for inappropriate behavior (U.S. Department of Justice 2011, 2015).