DOJ Sues Uber Over Allegations of Refusing Service to Disabled Customers
Uber is continued for the second time in four years by the Ministry of Justice for complaints concerning the treatment of customers with disabilities with the carpooling service.
According to the trial, a copy of which has been published online by the Techcrunch website, the company would “regularly refuse to serve people with disabilities, including people who travel with assistance animals or who use storageable wheelchairs”.
The trial also accuses Uber of imposing cleaning supplements linked to assistance animals and invoice cancellation fees on disabled runners who have been refused the service.
“And Uber drivers insult and lower people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions,” said the pursuit.
Do not miss any of our impartial technological content and laboratory criticism. Add CNET Like a favorite Google source.
In a press release provided to CNET, Uber said: “Runners who use guides dogs or other assistance devices deserve a safe, respectful and welcoming experience on Uber – a complete stop. We have a zero clear tolerance policy for confirmed service refusals, and we are fundamentally disagreement with the allegations of the DoJ.”
The company has underlined the animal policy of services in the United States, which all drivers are required to accept, and says that it takes “decisive measures, including the deactivation of the permanent account” when this policy is raped.
“We continue to invest in technology, training and dedicated report channels – like a hotline of denial of service animals 24/7 – to make sure that runners can quickly alert us so that we can investigate and solve the problems,” the statement said. “We remain deeply determined to expand access and continuously improve the experience of disabled cyclists.”
The company also underlined a page which it provides where passengers can file a complaint.
In 2021, Uber was continued by the DoJ to charge waiting costs to disabled customers who needed more time to go to their rides. This prosecution was settled in 2022.
While a company like Uber can have a lot of money to settle a matter like this, the DOJ’s objective may be to raise awareness of the violations of Americans with Disabilitites Act (ADA).
“ADA’s application on the DOJ’s field and the private parties is of crucial importance both with regard to the specific cases in question, but also for the message that disability is prohibited by federal law and will not be tolerated,” said Shira Wakschlag, General Councilor of the United States, a non-profit goal for people with intellectual disorders and development.
“The application of ADA in such cases is essential to ensure that the promise of the law to create a more accessible and inclusive world for people with disabilities is carried out,” she said.
In addition to the web pages and application options, Uber offers to report poor customer service or discrimination, Wakschlag has said that customers can also report discrimination directly to the DOJ via its website or work with organizations such as the arc that can survive complaints.
“The media can also play an important role by bringing these stories out of the audience room so that the general public understands what is in question and how it has an impact on people in the real world,” she said.
In addition, Uber is also faced with a prosecution of the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year, when the agency accused the company of deceptive pricing practices linked to its Uber One subscription service.
