Uber Takes Steps to Prevent Service Dog Discrimination

Last week, Uber took the first steps toward ending discrimination against passengers that require service dogs. Some drivers have declined rides to disabled passengers who use service dogs, which led to a lawsuit brought against the company by the National Federation of the Blind.

Uber proposed a settlement with the federation and will make it a requirement for current and new drivers to confirm that they understand their obligations to disabled passengers. The company has stated that if a driver knowingly denies a person that requires a service animal, the driver will be removed from the platform.

The lawsuit was filed back in September 2014 after a number of Uber drivers refused passengers with dogs. One example from the suit claimed that a driver agreed by phone to take two passengers to Menlo Park, but upon arriving, saw a guide dog and shouted “No dogs,” before speeding away. Another driver in Sacramento went so far as to lock a guide dog in the trunk for the duration of the trip.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said, “Access to reliable and affective transportation is critical to the ability of blind people to live the lives we want. Uber and similar services can be a great asset to the blind when they are fully and equally available to us. The National Federation of the Blind is therefore pleased with Uber’s commitment to implement, and effectively enforce, a nondiscrimination policy with respect to blind people who use guide dogs. We look forward to working with Uber to ensure that all blind passengers can take advantage of the innovative transportation services it offers.”

Currently, the settlement proposed by plaintiffs and defendants is seeking approval from the court for the class action lawsuit nationwide.

Source: SF Gate, National Federation of the Blind

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