<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Link works but doesn’t show HB26-1043.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"> Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Curtis Chong via Colorado-Talk<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 12, 2026 11:01 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'NFB of Colorado Discussion List' <colorado-talk@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Curtis Chong <chong.curtis@gmail.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Colorado-Talk] Help to Fight Discrimination Against the Blind and Other People with Disabilities by Uber and Lyft<br>
<b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Greetings everyone:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1043">HB26-1043</a> has been introduced by Representative Gretchen Rydin and will be brought before the
<a href="http://leg.colorado.gov/committees/2026A/house/BusinessAffairsLabor">House Business Affairs and Labor Committee</a> at its meeting to be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, in House Conference Room (HCR) 0112.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">HB26-1043 requires companies like Uber and Lyft to incorporate a discriminatory complaint mechanism into their respective apps, requires these companies to file monthly reports regarding discriminatory ride refusals by drivers with the
Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and increases the penalty that can be charged against Uber and Lyft from $550 to $5,000.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Members of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee need to hear our stories of ride denials by Uber and/or Lyft drivers because we were blind and using a guide dog or white cane. Blind people need to pack the hearing room to show
their support for HB26-1043. You can come to the hearing to show your support, whether you plan to testify or not. If you plan to testify, you may do so in person or virtually, but you must sign up in advance. Whether you choose to testify at the hearing in
person, remotely, or in writing, you need to register by sending your browser to
<a href="https://sites.coleg.gov/public-testimony/sign-up-to-testify/step-1">https://sites.coleg.gov/public-testimony/sign-up-to-testify/step-1</a>. Type HB26-1043 in the search box and activate the Search button. Further down the page, a link to Select HB26-1043
will appear which you should activate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you plan to testify, your testimony will be limited to 3 minutes; the chair of the committee has the privilege of shortening testimony to two minutes if there are a lot of people signed up. So, prepare your words in advance and make
your point directly. If you have a story of a ride denial, give the committee the TikTok version.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to attending the February 19 hearing in person or virtually, all of us can and should send emails to our state representatives and senators. The easiest way to find your state representative and senator is to visit the Find
My Legislator page, found at <a href="http://leg.colorado.gov/find-my-legislator">
http://leg.colorado.gov/find-my-legislator</a>. Feel free to email me directly at
<a href="mailto:chong.curtis@gmail.com">chong.curtis@gmail.com</a> if you have any trouble with the links provided in this email.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In crafting your email, you do not need to write a lengthy dissertation. Your message should be short and to the point. All you need to say is this:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">“Please vote to pass HB26-1043 so that the blind and other folks with disabilities will have a better chance to report ride refusals by rideshare drivers who, too often, refuse transportation to someone simply because
they use a guide dog or carry a white cane. These ride denials happen far too often, and it is high time that the Public Utilities Commission receive timely and accurate reports from the industry to address this issue.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also, if you are a blind person who has been denied transportation by Uber and/or Lyft simply because you use a cane or guide dog, feel free to tell your own personal story.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kind regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>