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Dave,<br>
<br>
               In light of our ongoing issues with
Uber and our Federal court case, I think this is something we need to
share with our NFBNET subscribers. Would you please forward this on to
our subscribersâ list for us? Thanks a bunch!<br>
Fraternally yours,<br>
Marion <br>
<br>
<dl>
<dd>What A Murfreesboro Court Case Tells Us About Uber And Service
Animals <br>
<dd>By TONY GONZALEZ<br>
<dd>Monday, September 26, 2016<br>
<dd>Source:
<a href="http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/what-murfreesboro-court-case-tells-us-about-uber-and-service-animals#stream/0">
http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/what-murfreesboro-court-case-tells-us-about-uber-and-service-animals#stream/0</a>
<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Nashville-area Uber drivers are learning more about their
responsibilities to passengers who travel with service dogs.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Thatâs because of a rare court case in Rutherford County and new
nationwide guidance from the ride-hailing service itself. Both are
nearing completion<br>
<dd>and raising awareness.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>The case in Murfreesboro surfaced in April.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>James Boehm, a Middle Tennessee State University graduate, said he
had started choosing Uber for some trips across town with his guide dog,
Shep, a German<br>
<dd>shepherd.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>While waiting for a pickup outside the veterinarianâs office one
afternoon, he said he sensed something was wrong. Because he is blind,
Boehm uses smartphone<br>
<dd>technology that vocalizes what is happening on his phone screen.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>He knew his driver had arrived.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>âI hear someone yell, they said, âYouâre going to have to get
another driver
I donât want that dog in my car,â â Boehm told
WPLN.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>He began to ask why, and noted that the Americans with Disabilities
Act protects service animal users.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>âAnd she literally squealed her tires and took off. And Iâm just
standing there like, âWow, did that just happen?â â he said.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>A First In Rutherford<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>As a local leader closely involved with the National Federation of
the Blind, Boehm knows the law intimately. He has taught advocacy classes
for service<br>
<dd>animal users and courses for business owners about how to
accommodate Tennesseans with disabilities.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>While a bystander came to Boehmâs aid on the day he lost his Uber
ride, he followed up with a complaint against the driver through the
app and to local police.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>That led to a misdemeanor charge for denial of service against driver
Rolonda Douglas.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>The case is a first for the county, said District Attorney Jennings
Jones.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>âQuite frankly, Iâve never had this type of case come up
before,â he said. âWe had to check the law to make sure we had a good
understanding of what it said.â<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>The Class C misdemeanor could lead to 30 days in jail. Authorities
wouldnât comment on the possible outcome of the case, but Boehm said
discussions in court last week point to a possible $50 fine and community
service.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Boehm said that conclusion would show accountability. As importantly,
he said he wants the case to raise awareness for other drivers, and for
the authorities.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>âPeople in the community now know that this is happening and
theyâre educated as to what the law is,â he said. âA lot of this
was new to them. They are<br>
<dd>now fully versed.â<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Boehmâs case came to light just as Uber was settling a class-action
lawsuit in California over guide dog discrimination. The National
Federation for the<br>
<dd>Blind (NFB) brought the case, saying that ride-hailing could greatly
benefit people with disabilities, but only so long as they are fairly
served.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Uber <br>
<dd>has agreed to train its drivers, remove violators and collect
data.<br>
<dd>And the NFB will periodically test Uber's compliance by sending
service animal users into the field.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>âWe hear about stuff all the time, unfortunately, and itâs
occurring everywhere,â Boehm said. âYou can do a Google search
youâll just get tons of incidents<br>
<dd>and stories.â<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Boehm, 35, recently moved to Nashville, where heâs pursuing a
clinical counseling masterâs degree from Vanderbilt University.<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>TAGS: <br>
<dd>DISABILITIES<br>
<dd>RIDE-HAILING<br>
<dd>RUTHERFORD COUNTY<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>Related Content<br><br>
</dl>Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â <br>
James Alan Boehm<br>
Contact Information:<br>
Phone: 901-483-1515<br>
Personal Email:
<a href="mailto:jimmydagerman80@gmail.com">jimmydagerman80@gmail.com</a>
<br>
NFB Email:
<a href="mailto:secretary@nfb-tn.org">secretary@nfb-tn.org</a><br>
Kustom Cane:
<a href="mailto:kustomcane@gmail.com">kustomcane@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
Blindness never limits-low expectations do! Live the life you want!<br>
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