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A Victorian woman who requires the assistance of a guide dog says repeated refusals from rideshare drivers have effectively left her housebound.
Key points:
- Kathryn Beaton and her dog guide Romeo have been refused Uber trips 23 times in six weeks
- Uber says it will work to improve its service for passengers such as Dr Beaton
- Blind Citizens Australia says rideshare and taxi drivers discriminating against people with service animals appears to be an escalating issue
Kathryn Beaton is legally blind and lives with complex regional pain syndrome and pelvic instability, which means she can experience "indescribable pain" if she is left waiting in the cold.
Her dog guide Romeo can only walk short distances due to a medical condition, so Dr Beaton relies on rideshare services or a support worker to leave her house.
Between May 25 and July 3, Dr Beaton says she was refused 23 Uber rides because drivers did not want Romeo in their vehicles.
"This does not include drivers who argued but eventually accepted," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"At best I am frustrated, at worst I have been in tears."
Dr Beaton says booking a rideshare vehicle fills her with anxiety because it is "incredibly rare" she does not get at least one refusal.
In late June she said she reached a "new record" when she was refused by five drivers in a row.
Each time she has made a complaint to the company.
She has also made complaints to commercial passenger vehicle regulator Safe Transport Victoria.
Uber has offered her refunds following her complaints, but Dr Beaton does not think the company is doing enough to prevent discrimination.
"It's a disability tax," she said.
"It's something we have to deal with that no-one else does just because we are disabled.
"We don't want a payout — we just want to get where we are going."
One refusal is 'one too many'
Under Commonwealth and Victorian law, it is illegal for a transport service to deny a passenger because of an assistance animal.
Uber's service animal policy makes it clear that drivers are required to comply with "all applicable laws" and "accept riders with assistance animals".
Uber's website says "driver-partners who engage in discriminatory conduct will lose their access to the driver app".
Despite the clarity of both company's policy and Australian law, Dr Beaton said in one instance an Uber telephone support worker told a driver he could refuse to take her due to the presence of her dog guide.
"Uber is setting up drivers to fail and for people with service dogs to face discrimination," she said.
"Drivers deserve better training when it comes to assistance animals."
Uber Australia and New Zealand director of driver and marketplace Emma Foley says that "one service animal refusal is one too many".
"We acknowledge the distress these scenarios cause, and we appreciate when those impacted riders take the time to share their valuable feedback," she said.
"This unfortunate encounter has resulted in an opportunity to improve our support processes for driver partners on this important issue."
If a driver is reported once for refusing a service animal, they are suspended from the Uber driver app until they undergo additional education to understand their legal obligations.
A second report will generally result in permanent loss of access to the Uber driver app.
Safe Transport Victoria investigates complaints about the commercial passenger vehicle industry, including drivers refusing to carry assistance animals.
Executive director of people and engagement Ayten Erkul said any refusal of service involving assistance animals was "a serious matter".
"We are taking steps, including through education and enforcement, to make sure drivers know their obligations," he said.
Drivers who breach the legal requirement to transport assistance animals in Victoria may be fined more than $1,900, lose their accreditation or, in some cases, face legal charges.
Concern issue is escalating
The national representative organisation for people who are blind or vision-impaired said despite the clear legal rights of service animals, taxi and rideshare refusals were an ongoing issue across the country.
"Uber has tried to put things in place, but we don't believe there has been a reduction in the frequency of issues — in fact we think there has been an escalation," Blind Citizens Australia chief executive Sally Aurisch said.
She is calling for more law enforcement and transparency regarding refusal complaints, as well as service animal training in the preferred language of a driver.
"At the moment people stop complaining because they never find out what has happened," Ms Aurisch said.
"Dog guides do have the same rights as the passenger.
"People can take them in their Ubers or taxis with them.
"They can't be refused on religious or other grounds and there are penalties in place, although we don't see them being enforced regularly."
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