The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Uber after the ride company pleaded that it violated federal law by discriminating against people with disabilities.
In particular, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division alleges that the company and its drivers “a routinely refuse to provide services to individuals with disabilities, including individuals who travel with service animals or use storage wheelchairs.”
Uber is accused of charging additional fees to riders who require special accommodations, including cancellation fees, when service is denied. According to the DOJ, these actions and other content listed in the complaint violate the Disabled Persons Act.
“Despite the importance of services to people with disabilities, Uber denies people with disabilities to fully and equally enjoy their services in several important ways,” a DOJ lawyer wrote. “Uber also refuses to reasonably change its policies, practices or procedures as necessary to avoid discrimination against disabled riders.”
This “has caused serious financial, emotional and physical harm to individuals with disabilities,” the DOJ argues.
In a statement, Uber said it “fundamentally” disagrees with the DOJ claim, saying it “has a clear zero-tolerance policy against confirmed denials of service.”
“All drivers must acknowledge and agree to comply with the Uber Driver App and comply with the U.S. Service Animal Policy and all applicable accessibility laws before using the Uber Driver App. We regularly remind drivers of these obligations. Once we confirm a violation, we will take decisive steps, including permanent account deactivation,” the company writes.
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Uber has long faced accusations that its services are discriminatory against people with disabilities. The DOJ sued the company in 2021 for overcharging these passengers. The company ultimately reached a settlement with DOJ in 2022, paying millions of dollars to over 65,000 affected users. Uber also claimed similar discrimination and was struck by numerous personal lawsuits from passengers facing public protests.
The DOJ said in a complaint filed Thursday in federal court in the Northern District of California warns the fact that Uber is investigating the treatment of disabled riders in 2024. According to the complaint, after Uber noticed this, the company deployed a feature that allowed passengers to self-identify as riding with service animals.
This story was updated in a statement from Uber.
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