Accreditation—What it means and why it matters
Being accredited by ADI is not just a fancy emblem placed on a website or a flashy tag line. It’s a message to the general public that an organization has values and standards that have been assessed and are backed by a larger coalition. Currently it’s a “buyer beware” climate when it comes to finding an assistance dog. Getting a dog from an ADI-accredited program helps ensure that consumers are able to find dogs from organizations that are held to high standards of dog training, dog care, business ethics, and client treatment.
Not Every Organization is Accredited
The process to become recognized by Assistance Dogs International is more than just a paper application and quick interview. This is a time-intensive process where an assessor visits the facility to conduct an in-person inspection, including not only the facility where dogs are trained but conversations with a variety of staff members. Accreditation is only available to not-for-profit organizations; these organizations also have to be a minimum of two years old and have placed a minimum of 10 assistance dogs before being able to apply. You can find some frequently asked questions regarding this process on the ADI website.
Accreditation Assessors
Accreditation assessors have the important role of overseeing this process for all organizations involved with ADI. Vanessa Wey from Os’mose Assistance Dogs is one such assessor who was willing to share her perspective on the process and its importance.
What’s your background? How did this lead you to working for Assistance Dogs International?
“In 1997 I was volunteer trainer in a canine school at just 15 years old. A few years later, I was asked to join an assistance dog organization. I trained my first assistance dog as a volunteer, and that enabled me to learn what I needed to continue to train assistance dogs.
I grew up with this organization over the course of ten years although there was always something missing. I was driven to be accredited by ADI, but the organization was not interested in that goal.
In 2010 I created Os’mose - my own organization - with my mother, my sister and some friends. Since the beginning we’ve had objectives in place and one of those was ADI accreditation. We wanted to evaluate the job we were doing by our standards and to be able to be compared to others in the field. And finally I wanted to improve our practices.
This accreditation (in 2015) was like a revelation for me. First, I had the satisfaction of success. We had passed! All of the organization was so proud of that. And even more proud of the fact that we were all volunteers at this time. During the entire accreditation process, but especially during two days of the on-site evaluation, I learned a lot during our exchanges with both assessors.
At this precise time I knew right away that I wanted my turn to join the ADI Assessors group. It was my way to further participate in the assistance dog industry. And it was also a way to continue to improve our daily work.
There are many other reasons to work for ADI. But if I have to pick only one, it’s to participate in a minimum level of quality for all assistance dogs in the world and to communicate the world about those practices!”
What’s one thing you wish you could tell every person who’s looking for an assistance dog?
“I dream that everybody in the world knows about Assistance Dogs International. If that dream were real, people will refer to the “Accredited Member List” when searching for an assistance dog.
So, my advice to anyone looking for a dog is: Refer to this list because it’s the guarantee of the quality of the training of your future assistance dog.”
What do you feel is the most important part of your job as an ADI accreditation assessor?
“The most important part is to ensure that all programs in the world meet the minimum standards for the training of assistance dogs.”
An assistance dog can be a life-changing partner for someone living with a disability. Working with an accredited organization is one of the best ways to ensure not only that a service dog has the training and skills needed to support its partner – but that the providing organization is prepared to support the dog-handler team. Accreditation assessors like Vanessa help ADI further its mission of fostering a collaborative global community dedicated to the highest standards of excellence for the assistance dog industry.
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