<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This article appeared in my local paper, the Bergen Record, based in north New Jersey. Thanks, NFB Newsline.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Tracy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2025/10/01/blind-nj-couple-guide-dog-denials-doj-lawsuit-uber/86336419007/<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Uber rides denied for NJ couple with guide dogs. Now the state and feds want changes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Portrait of Gene MyersGene Myers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>NorthJersey.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Jeff Clark and his wife were standing outside the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia in May when the ride refusals began.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Mount Laurel couple, who are both blind and use guide dogs, had just exited a Kristin Chenoweth show. They called an Uber to take them home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Then they called again. And again. Four drivers later, they were still waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“I messaged each driver to say I’m blind, I use a service animal, and please call my name when you arrive,” Clark said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>One by one, Uber drivers accepted the request — then vanished. Two canceled immediately after reading Clark’s message. Two pulled up, saw the dogs, told the couple they wouldn't take them and drove away, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Mount Laurel's Jeff Clark stands with his guide dog, Jette, who he says has been refused by Uber drivers multiple times despite federal protections.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Clark is among 17 people whose alleged mistreatment formed the basis of a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Sept. 11 by the U.S. Justice Department against Uber Technologies Inc. The suit accuses the ride-sharing company and its drivers of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>New Jersey legislators have also taken up the cause, proposing legislation to increase penalties for businesses that refuse access to people with service animals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The stranding in Philadelphia wasn’t a one-time experience, Clark, 55, said in an interview. Over the years, he said, he and his wife, Sharon, have faced denials because of their animals on a monthly basis. Sometimes a driver slows down, sees the dog and keeps going. Sometimes, Clark and his wife are charged a cancellation or cleaning fee for a ride they never got.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“There was a point last year where I seriously considered not getting another dog,” said Clark, a supervisor with a New Jersey state agency that provides career counseling for people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“It’s just easier with the cane, even though it’s more dangerous," he said. "I was tired of the stress.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The federal complaint, filed in California, alleges that Uber drivers across the country have routinely denied rides to people with disabilities, charged illegal fees and refused to accommodate riders with service animals or "mobility devices" such as wheelchairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The lawsuit seeks $125 million for individuals who have been subject to discrimination and previously submitted complaints to Uber or the government, said a Justice Department statement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“My dream would be just one month of hassle-free trips,” Clark said. “Drivers who treat us like anyone else, no drama, no denial.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Uber, in an emailed statement, said it “fundamentally disagrees with the DOJ’s allegations" and added that it has a “clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The company said riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices “deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber — full stop.” Riders who believe they were denied service due to age or disability can report it to the company online, via its app or using a hotline that Uber launched in 2023, the company added.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>"Every driver must acknowledge and agree to comply with our U.S. Service Animal Policy and all applicable accessibility laws before using the Uber Driver app, and we regularly remind drivers of these obligations," the statement continued.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>While the federal lawsuit plays out in court, New Jersey lawmakers are trying to tackle the issue closer to home. A pair of bills introduced last year — S3596 in the Senate and A5140 in the Assembly — would make it a criminal offense to deny access to someone with a service animal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The proposed legislation would treat a first incident as a petty disorderly persons offense, punishible by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Repeat offenders would face up to a $1,000 penalfy and a year behind bars.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“New Jersey is one of about 15 states where it’s not a criminal offense to deny access to someone with a guide dog,” said Melissa Allman, senior specialist of advocacy and government relations at The Seeing Eye, a guide dog training center in Morristown. “That needs to change.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>More: 'It's humiliating:' NJ's Seeing Eye pushes back as more businesses turn away service dogs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Allman, who is also a guide dog user, said that although Uber’s official policies prohibit such behavior, they are not consistently followed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>A survey conducted by The Seeing Eye found that more than 80% of guide-dog users had been denied ride-sharing service at least once, and nearly four in 10 said it happened frequently. The organization’s 2024 Access Barriers Report documents those experiences and supports the state legislation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Clark said guide dogs provide a level of safety and confidence that he can't replace with a white cane.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Service dogs “help us avoid obstacles, hear oncoming traffic, cross safely,” he said. “You can’t hear electric cars anymore. People don’t understand that.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Uber said it's in the middle of ongoing efforts to improve service for riders with disabilities, including a 24/7 phone line for reporting service animal denials, in-app features that allow riders to identify as traveling with a service animal, and a national driver education campaign conducted in partnership with The Seeing Eye and other organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Justice Department's case against Uber seeks a court order requiring new policies and training for drivers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Clark said he hopes the lawsuit leads to a better understanding of guide dogs and the people who rely on them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“Some drivers are great,” he said. “But there are too many who still say no, or act like they’re doing us a favor by letting us in. I just want a ride, same as anyone else.”<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>