[nagdu] Concerns arise over Uber's accessibility for persons with disabilities

Joe jsoro620 at gmail.com
Sat Jan 17 02:10:05 UTC 2015


I think Marion raises good points. Nevertheless, if and when I get a second
guide dog, I plan to give people advance notice about its presence. I figure
I know I'm temperamental with stupid people, so why not attempt to avoid
those situations? Don't get me wrong. I don't believe I should call ahead to
every restaurant I plan on visiting to let them know I'm coming, but when it
comes to cabs, bed and breakfasts and the like, I think it's worth my giving
them a fair shot to get their act together before we go round and round on
legalities.

Joe

--
Musings of a Work in Progress:
www.JoeOrozco.com/

Twitter: @ScribblingJoe


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sheila Leigland
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 10:53 AM
To: Marion Gwizdala; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide
Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Concerns arise over Uber's accessibility for persons
with disabilities

hmmm I didn't know that. Thanks for the information and I don't notify when
traveling with my dog guide. See you in d.c.
On 1/14/2015 1:51 PM, Marion Gwizdala via nagdu wrote:
> Abigail,
>
> 	I am generally opposed to any sort of advance notification of the 
> presence of a service dog. Places of public accommodation are required 
> to modify their policies, practices, and procedures to allow an 
> individual with a disability access to all the good and services 
> enjoyed by other customers unless doing so poses a direct threat to 
> the health or safety of others, imposes an undue burden, or if the 
> animal is out of control and the handler does not take immediate, 
> effective action to correct the behavior. The presence of a dog does 
> not pose a direct threat to a person with allergies to dog dander 
> except in .05% of the public. This means that about 150,000 people in 
> the U.S. have an allergy to dog dander that would pose a significant risk
to their health or safety.
>
> 	I often hear others say they give advanced notification out of 
> consideration. I am not sure what this means. Should my drummer give 
> advanced notification to a restaurant, hotel, or taxicab that he is black?
> Since both race and disability, including the presence of a service 
> dog, are irrelevant as to access, what is meant by consideration. What 
> about their consideration of you and your legal rights? Advanced 
> notification only serves to promulgate discrimination, not resolve it, 
> as the entity wonders why you told, them, what they need to do for 
> you, and often provides an unequal benefit as the result. JMHO!
>
> 	Also, does everyone know that Uber does not screen its drivers, does

> not require a mechanical inspection of their vehicles, and their 
> drivers do not have any additional insurance coverage other than what 
> is required for a private vehicle? Commercial vehicles require 
> specific insurance because their exposure to risk is so much higher.
>
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
> 	Uber contends that it is not a public accommodation; rather, they
say 
> they are a technology company. As the Chair of the Hillsborough County 
> Public Transportation Cimmission stated yesterday, no matter how a 
> vehicle is dispatched, if what happens is someone pays for a ride in a 
> vehicle, that vehicle is a taxicab. Taxicabs are places of public
accommodation.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Abigail 
> Bolling via nagdu
> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 11:02 AM
> To: Ginger Kutsch; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of 
> Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Concerns arise over Uber's accessibility for 
> persons with disabilities
>
> Personally, for UBER, I use the IPhone app...
> But, when I call for a regular taxi, I make sure I tell them I have a 
> service dog... Out of respect for the Driver.
> What do you guys think about having the UBER app add an option where 
> you can let them know if you have a dog or a wheelchair... Just 
> because most of the uber or lift drivers are using their own personal
vehicles.
> Especially for a wheelchair. because then maybe at the base dispatch 
> they could have a few wheelchair vehicles available.
> Thoughts?
>
> Abigail Bolling
> "Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart, and just let the 
> music play." (Julie Anderson Diamond)
>
>> On Jan 14, 2015, at 8:22 AM, Ginger Kutsch via nagdu 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>> Concerns arise over Uber's accessibility for persons with 
>> disabilities
>>
>> By Caitlin Johnston
>>
>> Tuesday, January 13, 2015
>>
>> Source URL:
>> http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/concerns-arise-over-ubers
>> -
>> access
>> ibility-for-persons-with-disabilities/2213526
>>
>>
>>
>> TAMPA - Ride-share company Uber has operated around Tampa Bay since 
>> April, but advocates are concerned that the company has no 
>> wheelchair-accessible vehicles here and that its representatives seem 
>> misinformed on federal regulations.
>>
>>
>>
>> A representative from Uber discussed concerns with advocates and 
>> community members during a forum Tuesday organized by the 
>> Hillsborough County and Tampa Mayor's alliances for people with
disabilities.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ana Mahony, Uber's general manager for Tampa, said the ride-share 
>> company is piloting programs in several cities in hopes of finding 
>> the best method of providing services for people with disabilities.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tampa, however, is not one of those cities. Currently, there is no 
>> way for riders in Tampa to request a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, 
>> Mahony
> said.
>>
>>
>> "I would love to be able to do something like that here,'' she said.
>> "Those kinds of situations require partnerships. . Right now we don't 
>> have the luxury of being able to test something like that."
>>
>>
>>
>> Uber, which connects passengers with nearby drivers via a smartphone 
>> app, has several variations on its typical rideshare model that could 
>> improve service here for people with disabilities, Mahony said.
>>
>>
>>
>> UberWAV, which is only available in New York City's outer boroughs, 
>> allows users to request a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. UberASSIST 
>> aims to assist seniors, but does not have wheelchair-accessible ramps.
>> UberACCESS, according to its website, does include vehicles with a ramp.
>>
>>
>>
>> But wheelchairs are only a part of the ongoing discussion about 
>> accessibility. Marion Gwizdala, president of the National Association 
>> of Guide Dog Users, said he was worried when Mahony said that drivers 
>> are not required to provide rides for service dogs if the drivers 
>> have
> allergies.
>>
>>
>> A second Uber representative, spokeswoman Kaitlin Durkosh, confirmed 
>> Mahony's statements to a reporter later in an email.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Driver partners are instructed in (Americans with Disabilities Act) 
>> regulations and while they are permitted under the law not to take a 
>> service animal for issues like allergies, safety or religious 
>> beliefs, drivers with those concerns are directed to wait with the 
>> rider until another Uber arrives," Durkosh wrote.
>>
>>
>>
>> According to ADA regulations, allergies and fear of dogs are not 
>> valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using 
>> service animals.
>>
>>
>>
>> "I'm concerned that they don't want to be regulated, and they're not 
>> fully aware of what their responsibilities are under ADA," Gwizdala said.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ben Ritter, co-chair of the Tampa Mayor's Alliance for Persons with 
>> Disabilities, said he was glad there was such a strong turnout and 
>> thought the conversation was productive. However, he doubts whether 
>> Uber or other ride-share companies will enact any changes.
>>
>>
>>
>> "They're not going to do anything until they're forced to," Ritter said.
>> "They're not going to make these changes because they don't have the 
>> incentive."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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