Uber is being ordered to pay $1.1 million to a blind woman for illegally discriminating against her after drivers refused to give her a ride 14 times. A lawsuit was filed against Uber in 2014 alleging discrimination against blind people and their guide dogs, and Uber settled for $2.6 million two years later. But it seems nothing has changed since then.
Lisa Irving, a San Francisco resident who is blind and relies on her dog, Bernie, to help her get around, filed a lawsuit against Uber in 2018, alleging that drivers refused to transport her and that she was harassed by those who refused to transport her with her guide dog.
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In addition, Irving claims that she was late for work due to such incidents – a fact that contributed to her dismissal – missed her birthday celebration, church services on Christmas Eve, was left outside in the dark and in the rain, and was subjected to other such humiliating behavior from Uber drivers, who did not let her take her dog with her on 14 separate occasions – the discrimination allegedly did not stop even after the lawsuit, according to Irving's lawyers.
An independent “arbitrator” reported to The San Francisco Chronicle that “Uber allowed drivers who discriminate against people with disabilities to continue driving without discipline.” Additionally, the arbitrator found that Uber employees were trained to guide drivers to find “non-discriminatory reasons for refusal,” and even “advocated” to keep drivers on the platform despite complaints of discrimination.
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It's worth noting that Irving won't get all of that money. The arbitrator awarded her $324,000 in damages, with the rest ($805,313) going to legal costs, including attorney fees. Irving spoke to the Chronicle about the dog and her memories, including one time a driver offered to give her a ride, then angrily yelled that he had a dog in the car and threatened to abandon them on the side of the road.
Uber has a dedicated support form for service animal issues. “Was a service animal not accepted?” is the first question. And there are many more questions about Uber’s animal policy.
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On the other hand, Andrew Hasbun, a spokesperson for Uber, said the following: “We are proud that Uber’s technology helps blind people find and get rides. Drivers who use the Uber app are expected to accommodate passengers with service animals and comply with accessibility and other laws, and we provide regular training on this responsibility. Our team reviews every complaint and takes appropriate action.”
