[Cagdu] FW: [seeing-eye] Uber refuses to take blind passenger in DC

[Lisa Irving]

Hello Tina,

I have what I hope is a bit of helpful information for Blind Uber passengers who travel with  their guy dog. Blind Uber passengers can call the following emergency phone number and then ask to speak to a manager from the Chicago-based accessibility team 1-800-285-9481

Last month, after a very bad experience with an Uber driver I programmed the Uber emergency response phone number into my iPhone. This number has proven to be extremely helpful A month ago, within a 3 1/2 hour. I was denied rides by three different drivers. On prior occasions I ended up emailing back-and-forth half a dozen times each time I was denied a ride on the other hand when I have called the emergency response number, for the most part, I have not had a problem getting a message to or getting through to the Chicago-based Uber accessibility team specifically a manager named Jessica.g this was true as of a few days ago. On Tuesday, December 6 I was attempting to go from a community-based worksite back to my office. I contacted the driver and inform the driver I do not see very well. I told him what I was wearing and where I was standing and ask him to roll down his window and call out to me when he arrived; he agreed. When the driver arrived he called me and proceeded to ask me, is that your dog sitting next to you? Then he informed me that he suffered from allergies. I went through the typical conversation of how sympathetic I am to individuals with allergies however that is not a lawful reason... after requesting a second ride I called the emergency phone number and spoke to someone named Madeline. Because conversations are recorded I made sure to provide details about the service denial. I was a shored that Jessica would call me; she did. There after that driver was suspended uber sent the standard geewhiz were really sorry letter. I responded to the letter. I put into writing everything that I stated during the phone conversation this is purely for documentation purposes on my end.

On a somewhat different note I'm curious about what happened on December 1 during what I thought was supposed to be a settlement hearing between the National Federation Of The Blind and uber technologies. Do you have any information about what transpired?

Please feel free to liberally post the above phone number and related information.

From,
Lisa Irving and guy dog, Bernie

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 8, 2016, at 7:36 PM, Tina Thomas <judotina48kg at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Subject: [seeing-eye] Uber refuses to take blind passenger in DC
>  
> Uber refuses to take blind passenger in DC
> WUSA9.com
> http://www.wusa9.com/mb/news/local/uber-refuses-to-take-blind-passenger-in-dc/351565100
>  
> WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - An Uber driver in D.C. refused to transport a blind passenger because she travels with a guide dog. The incident was caught on camera. 
>  
> The Uber driver called Kristin Fleschner offensive names. All because he didn’t want to transport the blind lawyer’s guide dog,
> named Zoe.
>  
> In just the last three weeks, Kristin and Zoe have been denied Uber rides in the D.C. area 10 times.
>  
> "Obviously you have a remarkable feeling of hurt that goes deep into your gut and streams up to your heart," said Kristin. 
>  
> A denied Uber ride is just one of many barriers Kristin and Zoe must overcome every day.
>  
> WUSA9's No Barriers team followed them as they made their way along busy D.C. streets. 
>  
> "None of the Metro Access cards that you’re required to have as a disabled person work with the entry and exit points," said Kristin. 
>  
> So Kristin and Zoe have to stand and wait outside the kiosk for someone to give them access to the train.
>  
> "I waited an hour and a half once to get through and ended up going back through and taking a bus to my destination because I couldn’t get through," said Kristin. 
>  
> WUSA9's No Barriers team was stunned by what happened next, on a short escalator just steps from the platform.
>  
> A  young woman tried to shove her way past Zoe, nudging the guide dog with her foot.
>  
> The woman then cut in front of Kristin and Zoe, racing to board the train.
>  
> "People have the wrong perception of what a blind person is," said Kristin. "They don’t think we should be out in the world working or look like sighted people." 
>  
> WUSA9's No Barriers team waited on the platform for the next train, but there were no audible announcements.  Once they got on board, all four handicapped seats were taken. No one offered to give theirs to Kristin, who was able to sit down after the first stop.
>  
> "These are the barriers we are trying to overcome and we must overcome" said Kristin. 
>  
> Uber has suspended that driver’s privileges as it investigates Kristin’s complaint against him.  The company does acknowledge that refusing to transport a service dog is both a clear violation of the law and of Uber policy. As for the driver’s claim that he’s allergic to dogs, it still does not exempt him from accepting a service dog.
> en
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