[nagdu] Uber put on blast for slighting blind riders?

[Ginger Kutsch]

Uber put on blast for slighting blind riders?

By AJ Willingham HLNtv

Fri February 20, 2015

 

A Twitter user accused Uber of denying his blind friend a ride, and now the
company is having to answer for their drivers' alleged questionable
practices. 

 

Colin Lawrence claimed Thursday that his friend Justin Chan couldn't catch a
break with Uber drivers because he has a guide dog.

 

An Uber rep responded swiftly, but not swift enough to avoid an
uncomfortable comparison. Apparently, this is far from the first time Uber
drivers have been accused of discriminating against blind riders with guide
dogs. In 2014, the National Federation of the Blind of California filed a
complaint against Uber, saying the company's drivers had refused service to
blind riders, or otherwise compromised their experience, at least 30 times. 

 

One person involved in the complaint said he was denied service multiple
times because of his guide dog, and another said a driver locked her guide
dog in a trunk.

 

At the time of the suit, Uber released a statement saying they do not
tolerate discrimination based on disability and would deactivate any driver
who was found to be exhibiting such behavior. 

 

"The Uber app is built to expand access to transportation options for all,
including users with visual impairments and other disabilities," Uber said
in a statement to USA Today. 

 

HLN reached out to Uber for comment, but has not heard back as of the
writing.

 

Source:
http://www.hlntv.com/article/2015/02/19/uber-blind-rider-problems-twitter