Anne-Elisabeth Rae said it felt like any other day when she and her service dog Scooter went to class in Dane Smith Hall on Tuesday.
Rae, who has permanent neurological damage, said she arrived to class early, sat down and poured water for Scooter to drink.
"He wandered across the aisle and took a sniff at another student's backpack," she said.
Rae said a student then used the book he was holding to attempt to hit the dog.
"I was so shocked. Nobody has ever done that," she said.
Rae said she asked the student not to hit her dog but that he did it again.
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"I picked up Scooter and left," she said.
Rae sought help for controlling the situation. She waited for the instructor to arrive and asked to speak with her in the hallway, but the situation worsened from there, she said.
"She said I was not allowed to have a dog and could not bring him into class," Rae said.
She left the class and reported the incident to UNMPD.
The instructor, Karen McCue, said she was not in class during the incident and was advised by Beverly Burris, chairwoman of the Sociology Department, not to comment on the incident due to the confidentiality rights of the student.
Burris could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Rae is one of more than 350 students who receive services from the Accessibility Resource Center, which helps students with disabilities get academic accommodations.
Joan Green, director of the ARC, said the process to get accommodations for a disability begins with the student presenting documentation that shows a disability exists.
"We review it with a committee and determine if it is enough information to provide services," Green said. "Then we schedule a meeting with the student to create an eligibility agreement."
She said if the committee finds accommodations are necessary, and if the student permits, notices are sent to the instructors.
Green said it is then up to the students to make sure their professors work with their needs.
"Unless we are brought into a situation, we assume the accommodations are being met," she said.
Green said students have opportunities to learn more by attending events such as Disability Awareness Day, hosted by the Associated Students for Empowerment in Smith Plaza today.
Rae said it can be difficult to have others acknowledge her disability because they cannot see it. She said this is the fourth time someone has told her to remove Scooter from campus.
"They expect a seeing-eye dog or a hearing dog, but there are many different types of service animals," Rae said. "You would not chase someone in a wheelchair or trip someone that was blind, so why would you harass someone in this manner? Just because they can't see my disability?"
Green said it is common for students to have disabilities that aren't visible to others.
Rae returned to class for the first time Thursday evening. She said she has felt less comfortable on campus since the incident.
"I am nervous about going back to class - I have a little plan of action in case anything were to happen," Rae said.
She said that, should there be an incident, she will leave and let the ARC handle it.
"It is very undignified to have to deal with this," Rae said. "It is not in my best interest to get emotionally upset by this."
Green said disability awareness is improving but could always be better.
"It is important for people to remember that, whether or not you are a student with a disability or not, everyone is different," she said.
Disabilities Awareness Day
Today, 10 a.m.-2 p.m
Smith Plaza
