“During my ten weeks as Atlas’s summer intern, I tackled a number of different and challenging projects. These projects involved, among other things, interviewing Atlas clients, consulting disability professionals, conducting research, and working with documents in a number of different languages. This meaningful and truly riveting internship provided me with insight into the workings of non-profit organizations, the complex relationships between non-profits and their clients, and, most importantly, the experiences of people with disabilities. Among many other things, my experience helped develop my interest in disability studies and allowed me to contribute to the success of a very worthy non-profit.

My most significant project spanned three weeks of my ten weeks on the job and was the perfect culmination of my summer experience. In mid-July, I pitched to the enthusiastic and supportive Atlas staff the project idea of researching assistance dog laws throughout the world. The idea for this project was born from my having noticed that there is a serious dearth of organized resources about international service dog laws. The Assistance Dogs International (ADI) website attempts to address this need. However, their information consists of only a few links and is incomplete and difficult to parse. I ended up creating a large document that is ready for distribution to Atlas clients [and available as a resource on our public website] to help them better understand their rights as disabled service dog handlers overseas and better understand the steps they need to take to bring their dogs with them as they travel.

This project truly strengthened my research skills, particularly with detailed parsing of legal documents and with research in languages other than English. For 51 countries and regions, I researched assistance dog legislation, airline information, required vaccinations and health documentation, banned breeds, types of assistance dogs that are allowed, and training requirements. In addition, I interviewed Atlas clients, incorporating their personal experiences into the document in order to help make the document more interesting, personal, and user-friendly. Equally important, their perspectives provide insights into the cultures surrounding service dogs in various countries, information that is not always evident in laws.

After conducting my research, I created a world map that I color coded based on the type of legislation that exists in each country. Most of the countries I researched require no formal certification, require a public access test, or require formal accreditation. I found it interesting that many countries have no laws at all about service dogs, but service dogs in these areas may still be allowed under laws prohibiting discrimination against disabled people.

I was also surprised to learn about the dog breeds that are banned by many countries, such as the Pit Bull, English Mastiff, and Cane Corso. Many of these breeds are common pets in the United States and are sometimes also used as service dogs. I hope that these sections of the document I produced will improve the knowledge of Atlas clients about dog breed restrictions, particularly if these clients are planning to travel internationally with their service dogs. The information I present about banned breeds may also help new Atlas clients select a breed for their service dog that will be welcomed in the countries they are likely to visit.

One of my favorite projects was creating infographics, which are single-page handouts and Instagram posts. My 24 infographics help educate the public about how a service dog can support people with various disabilities. Some also compare the tasks a service dog can perform to mitigate several related disabilities. To create these infographics, I consulted medical professionals and thoroughly researched each condition.

One project that involved intensive, interview-based research was a piece I wrote about service dogs for people with OCD, ADHD, and/or autism. [Read blog post here]. Based on interviews with Atlas clients and neurodiversity experts, the article explains to potential clients and the general public what neurodivergence is and why OCD, ADHD, and autism commonly co-occur. It also shares neurodivergent service dog users’ stories to showcase the real-life experiences of Atlas clients and the many ways these clients’ service dogs positively impact their lives. This project, together with my aforementioned infographics research, helped me better understand how impactful service dogs are on the lives of disabled people.

My internship experience at Atlas was sensational, and I thank Jen, Mark, Molly and others for so warmly welcoming me into the Atlas family and for providing me with such a positive and impactful experience.”