Some say forms, questions are invasive, discouraging
Some students have had difficulty getting approval for emotional support animals.
The university website’s emotional support animal policy states ESAs are defined as animals that provide emotional support that alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. In order to apply for an ESA, students fill out a series of forms, provide documentation from a healthcare or psychological provider which demonstrates a potential benefit for the student from having an ESA, and answer questions about the students’ specific needs and circumstances. Some students have found the process unnecessarily difficult because they were asked questions that were too invasive and were required to give more information than was stated in the university’s policies.
Lauren Micke, music theater junior, said she had difficulty getting approval for an ESA. She said she was told she needed to provide more information after submitting the required forms.
“I gave them two doctors notes, and they said, ‘well, a lot of people have seasonal anxiety and depression or only have it at certain times in their lives, and it’s up to Disability Services to decide whether or not this is different for you.’ They basically called my doctor’s note say-so,” she said.
Micke said a doctor’s note should be enough proof to get approval for an ESA.
“I just think if a doctor thinks you should have a service or accommodation given to you, your doctor knows you better than anybody else, so I don’t think a stranger should be able to decide if you actually have a condition or not and how severe it is,” she said.
Bonni Alpert, interim disability and access consultant, wrote in an email she believes the issue surrounding ESAs is an important one for disabilities in higher education. She declined to interview due to being a temporary private consulting assistant for the university until someone fills the permanent position.
Dr. Talia Carroll, vice president for diversity and inclusion, said the required questions, and documentation from a medical provider, give Disability Services a good understanding of how a student is impacted by their disability. An appropriate determination is based on the impact, the degree of the impact and the nature of the relationship between the student and the provider.
Felicia Stalzer, acting junior, said she applied for an ESA and submitted a letter from her doctor. Stalzer then said she was then told to answer questions about her need which she said she felt were invasive to her privacy.
Micke also said she felt uncomfortable answering the questions she was required to answer.
“They wanted to know what medications I was on and what would happen if I didn’t have an ESA with me. My doctor didn’t want to give them that information over a piece of paper because that’s super personal,” she said. “I basically just felt very invalidated because, first of all, to admit that you have a disability and ask for help is a pretty big step for people, especially someone with anxiety. It just made me feel very invalidated and like I didn’t actually have anxiety, which my doctor says I do.”
Stalzer said she understands this process is not specific to OCU.
“ESA privileges have been abused across the board at all universities, so this is pretty much from a higher up voice,” she said. “That’s been pretty enlightening about how universities approach mental health. It’s an issue everywhere.”
Carroll said the questions students are asked to determine the impact of the disability are standard for all Disability Services in the United States and in universities across the country.
“I think any part of the Disability Services accommodation process could be perceived as intrusive if people haven’t really been a part of the process or aren’t clear on why this information is needed,” she said. “I, personally, do not see them as intrusive, and I think if I were needing and wanting to be clear about what my support needs were, I would want to provide as much information as possible.”
Carroll said she understands ESAs are helpful for many people to mitigate a lot of the effects of a disability. She said distinguishing between legitimate need and students who would like to have a furry companion presents a challenge in making ESA determinations.
Carroll said the diversity and inclusion team’s aim is to reduce barriers as much as possible.
“I just hope that, as people go through our processes, they do understand that we’re not trying to create any barriers for folks, and we really want to be as accessible and helpful as possible,” Carroll said.
Mindy Windholz, director of university counseling, said, without proper documentation it’s difficult for Disability Services to decide if a student just wants their pet on campus or if they have a diagnosed mental health concern that prescribing an ESA would be beneficial for. She said the approval depends on the physician or counselor writing the ESA prescription and whether they can provide the accurate documentation of the disability and why it’s important for a student to have an ESA.
She said she understands students’ frustrations with the ESA approval process. She said the process is distressing because students feel like an ESA will be beneficial, but the process is extensive and not as easy as they may expect.
“Students really want to find that comfort, and they want to be able to have the things that bring them joy, and especially right now, this is a difficult time and we all could benefit from some comfort,” she said.
Windholz said students have appreciated the opportunity to have an ESA on campus. Though university counselors don’t prescribe ESAs, she said emotional support animals can help students cope. She said students seeking an ESA have gone through counseling or found a pet can help them manage their symptoms based on personal experience.
“The reason most people seek ESAs is for comfort, specifically to address their anxiety or depression,” she said. “And so, they’re looking for another way to cope, and perhaps it is part their treatment plan, or perhaps it is the only part of their treatment plan.”
Windholz said even though she can’t provide ESA prescription letters, she encourages students to take advantage of university counseling services. To contact campus counseling, readers can call 405-208-7901 or email Chloe Roby, counseling administrative assistant, at croby@okcu.edu.
Carroll said students who want to apply for an ESA or any other disability service should visit the current disability service’s website and fill out the OKCU Disability Information Form. Students will then go through an interactive process with Alpert to discuss their disability and needs.
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