September 2020 Coach's Quiz

We’ve given you nine Dos & Don’ts for handling requests for reasonable accommodations. Now let’s look at how they might apply in the real world. Take the Coach’s Quiz to see what you’ve learned.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each of the following questions has only one correct answer. On a separate piece of paper, write down the number of each question, followed by the answer you think is correct—for example, (1) b, (2) a, and so on.

The correct answers (with explanations) are provided in a separate PDF and follow the quiz on our website. Good luck!

QUESTION #1

Your community has a policy of providing unassigned parking spaces to residents on a first-come, first-served basis. One of your residents, who uses a cane to walk, asks for you to assign her an accessible parking space close to the entrance to her unit. Since there are unassigned accessible parking spaces near the entrance to her unit, you don’t have to grant her request. True or false?

a.            True.

b.            False.

QUESTION #2

Under fair housing law, you must consider requests for reasonable accommodations even if the resident doesn’t appear to have a disability. True or false?

a.            True.

b.            False.

QUESTION #3

Your community has a no-pet policy. Recently, you discovered that a resident has a small dog in her unit, but she insists that she’s disabled and it’s an emotional support animal. It seems as though she’s just trying to keep her pet dog, so you can enforce the lease to require her to remove the animal. True or false?

a.            True.

b.            False.

COACH’S ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS

QUESTION #1

Correct answer: b

Reasoning: #1 applies here:

#1: DON’T Assume that You Must Treat Everyone the Same—Regardless of Disability

Even though there are unassigned accessible spaces near her unit, you should accommodate this resident by making an exception to your policy of not providing assigned parking spaces. The FHA requires communities to make reasonable accommodations to rules, policies, practices, or services when the accommodations may be necessary to afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.

QUESTION #2

Correct answer: a

Reasoning: #4 applies here:

#4: DON’T Deny Request Simply Because Impairment Isn’t Apparent

Under fair housing law, you should consider requests for reasonable accommodations even if the resident doesn’t have an apparent disability. Fair housing law broadly defines disability to cover anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities—even if it isn’t obvious or apparent. HUD’s list of impairments includes many physical and mental conditions with few, if any, obvious symptoms to suggest that a particular prospect qualifies under the FHA’s disability-related provisions.

QUESTION #3

Correct answer: b

Reasoning: #3, #4 and #5 apply here:

#3: DON’T Ignore Informal Comments About Disability-Related Needs or Wants

#4: DON’T Deny Request Simply Because Impairment Isn’t Apparent

#5: DO Follow the Rules on Verifying Disability

Despite your suspicions, you should treat it as a request for a reasonable accommodation for an exception to your pet policies. The reasonable accommodation rules kick in anytime anyone says she needs or wants something—including an assistance animal—because of a disability.

The resident may be entitled to keep the dog as an emotional support animal if she has a disability-related need for the animal. HUD emphasizes that assistance animals are not pets. They’re animals that do work, perform tasks, assist, and/or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities.