Blind woman says she was denied ride twice in a row by Uber drivers because of guide dog
Veronika Kanya was told by 2 different ride-share drivers they wouldn't allow her guide dog in the car
A Winnipeg woman says she was left waiting in the cold after not one, but two Uber drivers refused to give her a ride because of her service dog.
Veronika Kanya is blind and takes her guide dog, Apache, everywhere she goes.
On Sunday afternoon she ordered an Uber to take her to her self-defence class, but when the driver showed up he refused to allow the dog in the car.
"He said 'no dogs,' and I explained to him that he's a service dog, he's a guide dog allowed everywhere, and he said 'no dogs,'" said Kanya.
"I explained to him you're breaking the law, you can't deny us the service and he was like, 'no.'"
The driver drove off, Kanya says, and the Uber app dispatched another car, but once again, as soon as the driver saw the dog he refused her.
"The same thing, he saw the dog and said 'no dog.'"
Kanya says a third driver finally came and picked her and Apache up.
Uber's says it's against their policies for a driver to refuse a ride to someone with a service animal.
"We are disappointed by Veronika's experience, and we share in her frustration," said Navideh Forghani, communications manager for Uber.
"Our community guidelines clearly states that drivers cannot deny someone a trip because of their service animal. Anyone who uses the Uber platform to drive agrees to abide by the policy."
The company is looking into this case and will take appropriate action, Forghani said, which could include removing the driver's access to the app.
Uber says new and existing drivers receive a notification through the app reminding them of their obligations to transport service animals and they are also sent quarterly reminders about the policy.
Kanya said both drivers who refused her seemed indifferent when she told them she would be making a complaint.
"They seemed pretty chill about it," she said.
Kanya says she has the option to declare she will be travelling with a service dog when she requests the ride, but she chooses not to, because past drivers have told her many drivers will refuse the call and she will wait longer.
Guide dogs are not pets
The five-year-old black Labrador retriever accompanies Kanya everywhere, helping her navigate everything from curbs to crosswalks.
"These guys are life-changing, amazing animals," she said.
"He makes my life so much better, so much easier. I feel so much more empowered."
Kanya said being refused the ride not only made her late for her class, but left her feeling extremely helpless and embarrassed.
Those who advocate for guide-dog users say what happened to Kanya happens far too often.
"It's not just ride-share companies. It's not just taxis. It's happening everywhere," said Larissa Proctor, a manager for guide dog advocacy with CNIB.
"And every time I hear a story like this, I am filled with frustration for the person that's had to experience it."
Proctor, who uses the pronouns they/them, says they hear complaints about guide-dog-related service denials on a weekly basis, and that only includes the few who report them.
"I think it's a lack of education and a lack of awareness. A lot of people look at a dog and don't immediately understand that it's a mobility device, and they think that they're allowed to say 'no pets welcome here,'" they said.
"Guide dogs are not pets."
Human rights legislation in Manitoba — and across Canada — prohibits discriminating against somebody who uses a service animal.
Despite that, Proctor says many people don't file a human rights complaint because the process can take a long time.
"The cognitive load that comes along with constantly having to advocate for your rights because you're being discriminated against can be pretty huge," they said.
The Manitoba Human Rights Commission investigates these complaints and says if the tribunal finds a person has discriminated against someone, they may be ordered to pay compensation up to $25,000, undergo training, or implement policy changes.
Woman says she's hesitant to call Uber again
The 47-year-old says she has been using Uber for a few months and hasn't had any issues until now, though she says she's occasionally been refused rides by cabs in the past.
She says she'll think twice before booking with the service again.
"I hate to give my business to someone or any company that's just not following up on their word," she said.
"They are misrepresenting themselves if they say that they take service dogs."
Kanya plans to file a human rights complaint because she wants to raise awareness that discrimination continues to happen.
"I will get over it, but should I?" she said.
"I mean, it's 2022 and this is the law. I don't know if I have too high of expectations."
She hopes Uber and similar companies will work to make sure this doesn't happen to future riders.
"I just don't understand why it takes so long to fix such a simple problem."
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