<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Robert Stigile, Second Vice-President<div>National Federation of the Blind of California</div><div>President San Fernando Valley Chapter</div><div>818-381-9568</div><div>Kn6uvd</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Raul Gallegos - NAGDU <rgallegos@nagdu.org><br><b>Date:</b> September 6, 2024 at 7:15:57 AM PDT<br><b>To:</b> NAGDU List <nagdu@nfbnet.org>, nfb-nagdu@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Mark Riccobono <officeofthepresident@nfb.org>, NAGDU <board@nagdu.org><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Rideshare Rally Hotel Information</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu@nfbnet.org><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><span></span><br><span>Hello everyone, please share this wherever appropriate.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Join our demonstration to protest rideshare discrimination against blind</span><br><span>people using guide dogs and white canes. </span><br><span></span><br><span>October 15, 2024</span><br><span>San Francisco, California</span><br><span>Uber and Lyft Headquarters*</span><br><span>10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time</span><br><span></span><br><span>Our headquarters hotel for this event will be the Crowne Plaza San Francisco</span><br><span>Airport</span><br><span></span><br><span>1177 Airport Blvd. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Burlingame, CA 94010</span><br><span></span><br><span>We have a room block at this hotel and will be meeting in the hotel after</span><br><span>the event. The room rate is $139 per night plus taxes. There is a free</span><br><span>shuttle between the airport (SFO) and the hotel which runs every 30 minutes.</span><br><span>The hotel has a restaurant which serves breakfast and dinner. We will</span><br><span>provide transportation from the hotel to the UBER rally, then to the Lyft</span><br><span>rally, and then back to the hotel. Space is limited and the special rate</span><br><span>ends on September 27, so please make your reservation early. We assume most</span><br><span>folks will want to arrive on Monday, October 14 and depart Wednesday,</span><br><span>October 16 but the rate is available for three additional days before and</span><br><span>after the October 14-16 dates in case you want to extend your visit. Please</span><br><span>note that President Riccobono will be conducting a post-rally meeting in the</span><br><span>hotel's Plaza Ballroom at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) that all rally attendees</span><br><span>are encouraged to attend. </span><br><span></span><br><span>You can make your reservation by calling the hotel at 650-342-9200 and</span><br><span>asking to reserve a room in the "National Federation" block, or by using the</span><br><span>link below.</span><br><span></span><br><span>https://www.crowneplaza.com/redirect?path=asearch</span><br><span><https://www.crowneplaza.com/redirect?path=asearch&brandCode=CP&localeCode=e</span><br><span>n®ionCode=1&hotelCode=URLCA&checkInDate=14&checkInMonthYear=092024&checkO</span><br><span>utDate=16&checkOutMonthYear=092024&rateCode=6CBARC&_PMID=99801505&GPC=BLD&cn</span><br><span>=no&viewfullsite=true></span><br><span>&brandCode=CP&localeCode=en®ionCode=1&hotelCode=URLCA&checkInDate=14&chec</span><br><span>kInMonthYear=092024&checkOutDate=16&checkOutMonthYear=092024&rateCode=6CBARC</span><br><span>&_PMID=99801505&GPC=BLD&cn=no&viewfullsite=true </span><br><span></span><br><span>The Uber rally will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the Lyft rally will end at 3:00</span><br><span>p.m.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Guiding Eyes for the Blind has agreed to support and participate in the</span><br><span>event, and we are working to contact other guide dog schools. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>We are hoping to have at least one guide dog user from every affiliate in</span><br><span>attendance. If your affiliate needs financial support, the affiliate</span><br><span>president should contact President Riccobono at officeof</span><br><span><mailto:thepresident@nfb.org> thepresident@nfb.org.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Additional background Information</span><br><span></span><br><span>As reported in the 2024 Presidential Report, "both of the leading</span><br><span>[rideshare] companies, Lyft and Uber, are failing to meet their obligations</span><br><span>to ensure that blind individuals are not discriminated against. While we</span><br><span>continue to hold regular meetings with both companies in good faith to</span><br><span>improve their policies and practices, there is rarely a day that goes by</span><br><span>when we do not learn of another ride denied to a blind person.We will take</span><br><span>all of the courageous steps necessary to stop this second-class treatment."</span><br><span></span><br><span>Rideshare Requirements</span><br><span></span><br><span>* Drivers must not discriminate; they must pick up blind passengers.</span><br><span>* Rideshare companies need a Zero Tolerance Policy for violators.</span><br><span>* Rideshare companies must reduce the burden imposed on blind</span><br><span>passengers to report denials when they happen.</span><br><span>* Rideshare companies must deliver better driver education on the</span><br><span>policy and laws regarding blind passengers, especially guide dog users.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Uber and Lyft are not meeting these requirements. The discrimination must</span><br><span>end. Don't deny; let us ride. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Submit Interest Form to Attend</span><br><span></span><br><span>Please let us know if you are interested in attending this demonstration on</span><br><span>October 15 by submitting the Rideshare Rally Interest Form. We will be</span><br><span>sharing more information regarding the logistics, rally route, and Rideshare</span><br><span>Rally details in the coming weeks. By completing the form, you are not</span><br><span>obligated to attend. </span><br><span></span><br><span> <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=35363&qid=10217548> Rideshare Rally</span><br><span>Interest Form</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>--</span><br><span></span><br><span>Raul Gallegos, President</span><br><span></span><br><span>National Association of Guide Dog Users</span><br><span></span><br><span>(346) 439-7444 . rgallegos@nagdu.org <mailto:rgallegos@nagdu.org> </span><br><span></span><br><span>www.nfb.org <https://d.docs.live.net/df04fbdd43ea5830/Documents/www.nfb.org></span><br><span>. www.nagdu.org</span><br><span><https://d.docs.live.net/df04fbdd43ea5830/Documents/www.nagdu.org> </span><br><span></span><br><span>Subscribe to the NAGDU public calendar</span><br><span><https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/nagdu.org_7eopjofhnd4968m46rcmgrc</span><br><span>k0s%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics> </span><br><span></span><br><span>Facebook Group <https://facebook.com/groups/nagdu> . Email list</span><br><span><https://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org> . Mastodon</span><br><span><https://nfb.social/@GuideDogUsers> </span><br><span></span><br><span>"Blindness is a characteristic, not a handicap."</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NAGDU mailing list</span><br><span>NAGDU@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org</span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rstigile%40gmail.com</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>