The Ontario government has launched a public consultation survey for their promised policy on having service animals in classrooms. If you'd like to support our fight to have Lynyrd admitted to OCDSB, completing the survey is a good way to do so: https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-service-animals-schools
As you complete it, I would ask that you keep a few things in mind. The survey asks whether or not schools should take issues such as allergies and fear of service animals in mind. They should, but it's also important to indicate that priority should be given to the child who needs the service animal.
We wouldn't tell a child in a wheelchair that the wheels tracking dirt into the school causes too much work for the janitorial staff or could trigger grass allergies in their classmates and thus refuse them the chair. We wouldn't tell a child on medical oxygen that the tank is too great a fire risk for them to be in class. In both of these cases, the increased risks are valid but understood to be less than the benefits to the child and the school overall. Service animals fall into the same category.
There is a section at the end where you can enter your own thoughts on service animals in classrooms. If you can, please indicate that refusing to allow willing staff to act as handlers is an act of discrimination and exclusion.
The more people who complete this survey, the better chance we have of a helpful and supportive policy being implemented Ontario-wide.
