<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>I personally have never had issues, but I have heard of many who have. I'm glad that something is being done. Take a look below.<br><br>Aleeha Dudley and seeing eye dog Dallas <div>Vice President, Ohio Association of blind students</div><div><a href="mailto:Blindcowgirl1993@gmail.com">Blindcowgirl1993@gmail.com</a></div><div>"The wind of Heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." Arabian proverb </div><div> </div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Marion Gwizdala via nagdu <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> September 10, 2014 at 7:40:20 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>>, "'New York Association of Guide Dog Users'" <<a href="mailto:nyagdu@nfbnet.org">nyagdu@nfbnet.org</a>>, "New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users" <<a href="mailto:njagdu@nfbnet.org">njagdu@nfbnet.org</a>>, "'Florida Association of Guide Dog Users'" <<a href="mailto:flagdu@nfbnet.org">flagdu@nfbnet.org</a>>, <<a href="mailto:nagdu-leaders@nfbnet.org">nagdu-leaders@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> "Marion Gwizdala, M.S." <<a href="mailto:marion.gwizdala@verizon.net">marion.gwizdala@verizon.net</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[nagdu] Washington Post: Uber sued for allegedly refusing rides to the blind and putting a dog in the trunk</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> Marion Gwizdala <<a href="mailto:blind411@verizon.net">blind411@verizon.net</a>>, "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>Dear All,</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span> Please circulate the following information as widely as</span><br><span>appropriate.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Fraternally yours,</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Marion Gwizdala, President</span><br><span></span><br><span>National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc.</span><br><span></span><br><span>National Federation of the Blind</span><br><span></span><br><span>(813) 626-2789</span><br><span></span><br><span>(888) 624-3841 (Hotline)</span><br><span></span><br><span> <<a href="mailto:President@nagdu.org">mailto:President@nagdu.org</a>> <a href="mailto:President@nagdu.org">President@nagdu.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span> <<a href="http://www.nagdu.org">http://www.nagdu.org</a>> <a href="http://www.nagdu.org">http://www.nagdu.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>High expectations create unlimited potential for the blind!</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></span><br><span>Uber sued for allegedly refusing rides to the blind and putting a dog in the</span><br><span>trunk</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>By <<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/gail-sullivan">http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/gail-sullivan</a>> Gail Sullivan</span><br><span>September 10 at 5:06 AM</span><br><span></span><br><span>An advocacy group for the blind is suing the app-based ride-sharing service</span><br><span>Uber, alleging the company discriminates against passengers with service</span><br><span>dogs.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The federal civil rights suit filed Tuesday by the California chapter of the</span><br><span>National Federation of the Blind cites instances in California and elsewhere</span><br><span>when blind Uber customers summoned a car only to be refused a ride once the</span><br><span>driver saw them with a service dog. In some cases, drivers allegedly</span><br><span>abandoned blind travelers in extreme weather and charged cancellation fees</span><br><span>after denying them rides, the complaint said.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The complaint filed in a Northern California District Court cites one</span><br><span>instance where a California UberX driver put a service dog in the trunk and</span><br><span>refused to pull over when the blind passenger realized where the animal was.</span><br><span></span><br><span>On another occasion a passenger was trying to explain that his dog was not a</span><br><span>pet but a service animal when the driver allegedly cursed at him and</span><br><span>accelerated abruptly, nearly injuring the dog and striking the passenger's</span><br><span>friend, who is also blind, with an open car door.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The group said it's aware of more than 30 times blind customers were denied</span><br><span>rides in violation of the American with Disabilities Act and California</span><br><span>state law.</span><br><span></span><br><span>As a result, blind passengers are confronting unexpected delays and "face</span><br><span>the degrading experience of being denied a basic service that is available</span><br><span>to all other paying customers," the complaint said.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Services such as Uber are quickly supplanting traditional taxis, a service</span><br><span>blind people rely on due to the limitations of public transportation.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The National Federation of the Blind wants Uber to educate its drivers about</span><br><span>disability rights and punish the violators in addition to providing a way</span><br><span>for disabled passengers to immediately register complaints when they are</span><br><span>refused rides because of service dogs.</span><br><span></span><br><span>In a statement reported by the</span><br><span><<a href="http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/lawsuit-alleges-uber-discriminates-a">http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/lawsuit-alleges-uber-discriminates-a</a></span><br><span>gainst-blind-passengers-with-service-dogs/Content?oid=2895322> San Francisco</span><br><span>Examiner, Uber said its policy is to terminate drivers who refuse to</span><br><span>transport service animals. "The Uber app is built to expand access to</span><br><span>transportation options for all, including users with visual impairments and</span><br><span>other disabilities," the statement said.</span><br><span></span><br><span>However, Uber allegedly told some passengers it can't control what drivers</span><br><span>do because they are independent contractors. The company advised them to let</span><br><span>drivers know about their animals ahead of time, said the Federation, which</span><br><span>filed suit after Uber rejected its request to negotiate a solution.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The group claims the company closely monitors and controls its drivers by</span><br><span>managing payments and services through the app, and by assessing driver</span><br><span>performance based on customer feedback.</span><br><span></span><br><span>In September 2013, California's Public Utilities Commission classified UberX</span><br><span>as a transportation provider because it functions like a taxi dispatch. The</span><br><span>commission also said that UberX may not discriminate against the disabled,</span><br><span>the Federation noted.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Figuring out whether to treat Uber like a traditional taxi service or</span><br><span>something else is the subject of heated debate across the country. Taxi</span><br><span>services are</span><br><span><<a href="https://adata.org/publication/disability-law-handbook#Transportation">https://adata.org/publication/disability-law-handbook#Transportation</a> and</span><br><span>the ADA> required by federal law to serve the disabled, even if drivers are</span><br><span>independent contractors.</span><br><span></span><br><span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/09/10/uber-sued-for-a">http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/09/10/uber-sued-for-a</a></span><br><span>llegedly-refusing-rides-to-the-blind-and-putting-a-dog-in-the-trunk/</span><br><span></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>nagdu mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a></span><br><span><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org</a></span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:</span><br><span><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blindcowgirl1993%40gmail.com">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blindcowgirl1993%40gmail.com</a></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>