The Division of Justice (DOJ) sued Uber on Friday, accusing the ride-sharing platform of discriminating in opposition to riders with disabilities by “routinely” denying service to wheelchair customers and passengers with service canines.
The federal government alleges that drivers continuously refuse to offer rides to blind passengers with service canines, cancelling journeys upon studying they’re touring with an animal. Sometimes, customers have been pressured to pay cancellation or cleansing charges as properly, in line with the grievance.
Some passengers with disabilities have been rejected by drivers who say they can’t retailer their wheelchairs, whereas others have encountered drivers who “insult and demean people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions,” DOJ alleges.
“For too long, blind riders have suffered repeated ride denials by Uber because they are traveling with a service dog,” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant lawyer normal of the company’s civil rights division, mentioned in an announcement.
“This lawsuit seeks to end this persistent discrimination and allow riders with disabilities to use Uber,” she added.
The grievance detailed the experiences of greater than a dozen riders who’ve encountered points, arguing this conduct “flows directly from and is exacerbated by Uber’s broader failures to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities.” The DOJ is searching for $125 million, in line with a press launch.
Uber mentioned in an announcement that it “fundamentally” disagrees with the allegations within the case, underscoring that it has a “clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials.”
“Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber — full stop,” it mentioned.
The corporate famous that each driver should acknowledge and comply with adjust to its service animal coverage and accessibility legal guidelines, including it takes “decisive action” after confirming violations, together with completely deactivating accounts.
“We continue to invest in technology, training, and dedicated reporting channels — such as a 24/7 service animal denial hotline — to ensure riders can quickly alert us so we can investigate and address issues,” Uber mentioned. “We remain deeply committed to expanding access and continuously improving the experience for riders with disabilities.”
