[nagdu] Uber sued for allegedly refusing rides to the blind and putting a dog in the trunk

Thu Sep 11 22:31:09 UTC 2014

Hi all! 
I wish we could have at least half of your ADA here in Sweden. I see guides riding in the trunk here all the time and if you complaint they just don't care. Just curious; are you guys in the US always aloud to have your guide beside you on a car-chair or on the flor? How do you do if the car is full or there isn't enough space on the flour? 
Here is also a lot of problems with businesses and public places denying guide-dog users access referring to allergies and no pet policies. 
Sorry for my maybe stupid questions but we seam to have a totaly different set of laws and regulations here. 
By the way I've been accepted to go to my first guide-dog introduction week in the end of October. I'm so exited!!!
Med vänliga hälsningar / best regards 
Fatmir seremeti 
+46705103634
www.goalballfatmir.blogg.se 
Twitter: @goalballfatmir


> 11 sep 2014 kl. 23:45 skrev Janice Toothman via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>:
> 
> Hi All,
> I have never used my guide dog school ID because I do not feel that is what would help me out of a situation.  It is explaining the LAW-ADA and how it applies to the situation at hand.  This is why everyone as guide dog uses have to be well versed in th ADA law so we know what the discrimination is and how to address.
> Janice
>> On 9/11/2014 1:31 PM, Amber M via nagdu wrote:
>> Hi Abby,
>> Before I say anything about the situation, I would like to say that this is just my opinion. So it is Benoni means correct, or upheld by majority. But… And I do reiterate, this is my opinion… When someone who attends a guy dog school shows an ID to get out of a stressful situation, they then make it difficult for the owner trained guy dog who comes after them. Because the business then expects that an ID will be shown, and can be expected.
>> 
>> I will not pretend that it is easier to stand up for your rights when you are in a hurry, or when the person just doesn't seem to get it, etc. etc. But just like you don't want a blind person who attends a school before you, to make you look like you are not capable of doing for  yourself, and wished they would take that extra moment to do something for themselves, owner trainers have a really hard time going behind program trained dog handlers, who do tend to use their ID a lot.
>> Again, just my opinion, and by no means is it what everyone else believes.
>> Best,
>> Amber
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Sep 11, 2014, at 11:34 AM, Abigail Bolling via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The problem of explaining  that the dog is a service animal, I know this may sound harsh, but as far as I know, the service animal schools give there handlers ID cards for a reason. A lot of Dog users that I know refuse to carry them, to which my opinion is a lot of situations could possibly be avoided just by showing an ID card.
>>> I know we shouldn't have to show an ID card to make our point and it is certainly annoying, but sometimes it is just easier to go that extra stupid step to save a little headache later.
>>> Also, I know I said this on another post about this article, but it is the responsibility of the handler to know where their dog is at all times, so why did the handler let the dog be taken away from him and placed in the trunk in the first place.
>>> Thanks,
>>> 
>>> Abby and my little Shadow, Jada.
>>> 
>>> Abigail Bolling
>>> Wright State University: Social Work
>>> 
>>> "Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart, and just let the music play." (Julie Anderson Diamond)
>>> 
>>>> On Sep 11, 2014, at 8:33 AM, Ginger Kutsch via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Uber sued for allegedly refusing rides to the blind and putting a dog in the
>>>> trunk
>>>> 
>>>> By Gail Sullivan September 10 Washington Post
>>>> 
>>>> Source:
>>>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/09/10/uber-sued-for-a
>>>> llegedly-refusing-rides-to-the-blind-and-putting-a-dog-in-the-trunk/
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> An advocacy group for the blind is suing the app-based ride-sharing service
>>>> Uber, alleging the company discriminates against passengers with service
>>>> dogs.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The federal civil rights suit filed Tuesday by the California chapter of the
>>>> National Federation of the Blind cites instances in California and elsewhere
>>>> when blind Uber customers summoned a car only to be refused a ride once the
>>>> driver saw them with a service dog. In some cases, drivers allegedly
>>>> abandoned blind travelers in extreme weather and charged cancellation fees
>>>> after denying them rides, the complaint said.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The complaint filed in a Northern California District Court cites one
>>>> instance where a California UberX driver put a service dog in the trunk and
>>>> refused to pull over when the blind passenger realized where the animal was.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On another occasion a passenger was trying to explain that his dog was not a
>>>> pet but a service animal when the driver allegedly cursed at him and
>>>> accelerated abruptly, nearly injuring the dog and striking the passenger's
>>>> friend, who is also blind, with an open car door.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The group said it's aware of more than 30 times blind customers were denied
>>>> rides in violation of the American with Disabilities Act and California
>>>> state law.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> As a result, blind passengers are confronting unexpected delays and "face
>>>> the degrading experience of being denied a basic service that is available
>>>> to all other paying customers," the complaint said.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Services such as Uber are quickly supplanting traditional taxis, a service
>>>> blind people rely on due to the limitations of public transportation.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The National Federation of the Blind wants Uber to educate its drivers about
>>>> disability rights and punish the violators in addition to providing a way
>>>> for disabled passengers to immediately register complaints when they are
>>>> refused rides because of service dogs.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> In a statement reported by the San Francisco Examiner, Uber said its policy
>>>> is to terminate drivers who refuse to transport service animals. "The Uber
>>>> app is built to expand access to transportation options for all, including
>>>> users with visual impairments and other disabilities," the statement said.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> However, Uber allegedly told some passengers it can't control what drivers
>>>> do because they are independent contractors. The company advised them to let
>>>> drivers know about their animals ahead of time, said the Federation, which
>>>> filed suit after Uber rejected its request to negotiate a solution.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The group claims the company closely monitors and controls its drivers by
>>>> managing payments and services through the app, and by assessing driver
>>>> performance based on customer feedback.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> In September 2013,California's Public Utilities Commission classified UberX
>>>> as a transportation provider because it functions like a taxi dispatch. The
>>>> commission also said that UberX may not discriminate against the disabled,
>>>> the Federation noted.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Figuring out whether to treat Uber like a traditional taxi service or
>>>> something else is the subject of heated debate across the country. Taxi
>>>> services are required by federal law to serve the disabled, even if drivers
>>>> are independent contractors.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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