Assistance and Emotional Support Animals Policy: Conference

1. Purpose

1.1 This policy is designed to provide some general information and guidance regarding assistance animals and emotional support animals at Liberal Democrat Federal Party Conferences. This policy relates to assistance animals who are formally accredited and emotional support animals (who are not accredited and are only permitted in exceptional circumstances).

1.2 The Liberal Democrats are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment and value the diversity of all conference attendees. The Liberal Democrats recognise the important role played by assistance animals and emotional support animals, which provide valuable, even life-changing, assistance for disabled people.

1.3 The policy outlines the following key areas:

• The definition and types of assistance animals;
• The definition and types of emotional support animals;
• The practical arrangements at Conference;
• Owner responsibility;

2. Definition and types of assistance animal

2.1 For the purpose of this policy, an assistance animal is one, which has been specifically trained to assist disabled people (including physical and/or psychological disabilities) and has been duly accredited by the appropriate organisation. For example, an assistance dog will be accredited by one of the organisations registered as a member of Assistance Dogs (UK) or an equivalent organisation in another country.

2.2 Assistance dogs trained by members of Assistance Dogs (UK) have formal identification (coloured coat and collar tag) and have been granted certification by the Department of Health. As such, they are permitted to accompany their owners at all times and in all places within the UK (unless there is a genuine health and safety risk).

2.3 The Liberal Democrats reserve the right to refuse access to a dog that is not qualified by one of the five membership organisations of Assistance Dogs (UK);

2.4 Types of assistance dogs include:

• Guide Dogs - assist people who are blind or visually impaired
• Hearing Dogs - assist people who are deaf or hearing impaired
• Support Dogs/Dogs for the Disabled – a Support Dog can be trained in a wide variety of practical tasks which their owner may find difficult or impossible; for example: opening and closing doors;calling an ambulance; picking up objects; assisting with dressing and undressing; accompanying their owner while shopping etc.; acting as a physical support; raising the alarm; operating control buttons; switching lights on and off; carrying items; loading and unloading the washing machine; and fetching the telephone and other items.

3. Practical arrangements at Conference

3.1 The Liberal Democrats aim to provide a welcoming and safe environment for assistance animals and their owners while ensuring the well-being and comfort of all attendees and staff. As Conference is held at a number of different venues, the specific provisions will vary by location, but will usually include:

3.2 Toileting: toileting will be expected to take place outside of the official conference venue.

3.3 Disabled people accompanied by their assistance dogs have full access to all general access areas of the Conference. Assistance dogs are trained to lie quietly at their owner’s feet when they sit down to eat. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has determined that assistance dogs are unlikely to present a risk to hygiene.

3.4 Canine behaviour: Assistance dogs are specially selected for their temperament, and undergo lengthy training to ensure they are always under the control of their owner, and will not cause a nuisance to anyone. Their owners also receive full training to ensure that they can handle their dogs appropriately.

4. Owner responsibilities

4.1 The assistance dog is the responsibility of its owner at all times and must ensure that it:

4.2 is kept on a lead at all times when walking on venue premises

4.3 has all its requirements met in respect of toileting, feeding, watering and veterinary attention;

4.4 is well-behaved at all times and causes no disruption - this is especially important when the auditorium is in session. Owners are expected leave the auditorium temporarily if required

4.5 is wearing something obvious that immediately identifies it as an assistance dog to all

5. Emotional support/ therapy animals

5.1 The Liberal Democrats recognise the positive impact animals have on wellbeing and in providing emotional assistance. There is currently no recognised accreditation of emotional support animals. The Liberal Democrats therefore reserve the right to refuse access to any animal at its discretion that is not accredited (as detailed in section 2.3 above).

5.2 However, in exceptional circumstances and when there is clear medical evidence, consideration will be given to requests by attendees to bring emotional support / therapy animals to the Conference.

5.3 Consideration will only be given to emotional support dogs and will not be extended to cats, birds, rodents or other animals.

6. Process for emotional support/ therapy animals (animals that are not registered under ADUK)

6.1 Attendees who wish to bring a therapy animal to Conference must:

• Apply in writing to the Conference Team (conferences@libdems.org.uk) in advance of Conference and provide appropriate medical evidence to support the request to have a therapy animal at Conference, which should include information about the support the animal will provide and if approved;
• Arrange public liability insurance (through pet insurance) and provide a copy of the policy to the Conference Team
• Accept that if there are complaints about the animal / my handling of the animal that the approval for the animal to attend may be removed at the discretion of the Head of Conferences / Chief Steward and such a decision be appealable to the Accessibility representative of the Federal Conference Committee.