Public Access Assessment

ADAA Public Access Assessment

Upon successfully completing our Public Access Assessment, teams can exercise their public access rights with confidence, knowing that their dog has demonstrated a high standard of training while meeting ADAA’s welfare standards.

Successful completion of the assessment will provide handlers with: 

A network of assessed assistance dogs and handlers.
Share good practice and provide each other with mutual support.
Assurance that service providers get the guidance they need.
Refusal procedure support.
Option to purchase equipment that includes our logo.

Who is the assessment aimed at?

The ADAA assessment is for assistance dog teams where the dog is either:

Our assessments are conducted by experienced assistance dog assessors who understand the challenges and achievements involved in training an assistance dog. We aim to make the assessment process a positive and supportive experience for every team.

Whether your dog is owner-trained, privately trained, or already registered with a non-ADUK organisation, you are welcome to apply for assessment.

ADAA is committed to providing a fair, independent, and unbiased assessment of every team.

* Assistance Dogs UK
** Assistance Dog International
*** International Guide Dog Federation

The process

Before submitting your application for our Public Access Test, please work through the following steps to ensure that both you and your dog are ready for assessment.

You have the following documents in digital form, ready to upload:

Completed Veterinary form: Download here
Evidence of vaccination and flea/worming treatment
Insurance policy documents
Letter from doctor or healthcare provider as proof of condition
Videos of your dog performing their three mitigating tasks. Download our video task guide here
Signed Client Contract: Download here

You can answer YES to all criteria on our Criteria page, including:

You agree to our code of ethics
You meet our criteria

You agree to our code of ethics
You meet our criteria

You fill out the online application questionnaire in full when you apply

Payment will be taken at the point of submission

After your submission

Once we have reviewed your application and all supporting evidence, we will arrange a video based (zoom) pre-assessment interview with you, in this we will discuss how the assessment works, and any concerns or queries you may have.
If it is mutually agreed during the pre-assessment to go ahead with your application, we will allocate you with an assessor and offer you a selection of dates and times for your in person public access assessment.

Please note submitting an application does not mean you are automatically accepted for an assessment.

Travel will be required to the public access assessment location.

We do ask for a small donation of £50 per assessment (+£2 processing fee).

_{The ADAA certificate is valid for one year from the date you pass your assessment. To keep your certification active, you must complete an annual assessment and pay the renewal fee, currently £50 plus a £2 processing fee. ADAA will contact you before your certificate expires to explain the renewal process. You will not need to submit a new application each year.}

What you will need on the day.

You should have all necessary equipment to ensure the dog’s safety and comfort. Please click here to view equipment that ADAA deems acceptable.

Depending upon individual needs these may include:

Dogs should be trained to a standard so they perform the required behaviour to a visual, spoken or whistle cue.

It is required that occasionally the dog is able to demonstrate its ability to work without food rewards.

Luring the dog will not be allowed in the assessment.