Jet Setting July

This month, we explore multiple means of travel and our rights when out in our communities. From walking with canes and dogs to traveling in automobiles, planes, trains, buses, and more, please join us as we get ready to jet-set this July.

• July 2: White Canes and Guide Dogs in Maryland and Beyond
• July 9: Rideshares in Maryland: Rights and Tips
• July 16: Air Transportation Rights
• July 23: Paratransit in Maryland
• July 30: Public Transit in Maryland 

Rideshares (Uber, Lyft, etc.) and traditional taxicab companies provide easy access to car transportation. Each vehicle is considered a “public accommodation,” so civil rights to “reasonable accommodations” apply – even though the accommodation is the backseat of a car! Let’s dive into the rights and realities of white cane and guide dog users in rideshare trips.

Right to Reasonable Accommodations

As discussed in last week’s Transition Tip, White Canes and Guide Dogs in Maryland and Beyond, federal and state civil rights laws protect the right to use white canes and guide dogs in public accommodations. Rideshares and taxicabs are considered “public accommodations,” so the drivers may not refuse service because you are using a long white cane, a guide dog, or both.

Rights in Practice

Relevant policies

All taxicabs that operate in Maryland must provide service to individuals with service animals, as outlined in the Maryland Taxicab Customer Bill of Rights. Likewise, rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have policies that require drivers to provide transportation to guide dog users (here are links to those policies: Uber Service Animal Policy, Lyft Service Animal Policy, and Lyft Service Animal web page).

Discrimination still occurs

Bridges Director Carlton Walker and her friends and family have experienced rideshare discrimination when using long white canes and when using guide dogs. Some drivers have canceled rides once they catch sight of the cane or dog – leading to extremely long waits and sometimes even cancellation fees for the rider. Other drivers have demanded that long white canes be folded up (even though these were straight, unfoldable canes) or have demanded that users put dogs in the trunk of the car!

These situations are patently illegal, but they are also extremely stressful and hurtful. In these cases, we are forced to come up with alternative solutions on the fly. Moreover, knowing that these incidents occur, we may be less inclined to even put ourselves in the situation at all – choosing to walk or stay home instead.

The choice IS yours!

While the law gives you the right to make a complaint, it does not force you to do so. While filing complaints can help to get bad actors out of the rideshare/taxicab industry, no one can force you to file a complaint.

Being denied service stinks, but it doesn’t mean that you have to make an official complaint. However, it may be helpful to know where and how to report any violations you may encounter.

Reporting violations

When violations occur, riders have the right to report those violations using the relevant tool:

• Reporting Violations by Taxi/Cab Drivers in Maryland
• Uber violation: Self-report or Uber violation: Third-party report
• complete Lyft’s Service Animal Complaint Form

Additionally, please consider reporting rideshare violations to two additional organizations:

• NFB Rideshare Discrimination Survey: hosted by the National Federation of the Blind, a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of blind/low vision individuals, uses this data to gather “information about ongoing discrimination for legal advocacy.”
• File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice: the American Council of the Blind (ACB) encourages dog guide users to: “File a complaint with the U. S. Department of Justice every single time a driver for a rideshare company denies service to you because you travel with a guide dog.”

Printable Rights Reference Sheets

Please feel free to download these PDF versions of our Bridges Reference sheets:

• White Cane User Rights in Maryland Reference Sheet
• Guide Dog User Rights in Maryland Reference Sheet

Reach Out to Us at the Free Bridges Helpdesk anytime!

Most people of all ages and abilities find self-advocacy to be stressful and demanding; you are not alone. Please reach out to us; we at the Bridges Helpdesk are eager to support you throughout the process, and we’ll support your decisions (including a decision to refrain from reporting a violation). The key is that we are always here to support you.

Please check out the Bridges Technical Assistance Center Resource Library today!

Contact us

Follow the Bridges Helpdesk Facebook page for more transition tips, and please contact the Bridges Technical Assistance Center’s Free Helpdesk for Maryland Blind/Low Vision Transition Students, Families, and Educators anytime using:

• Our Accessible web form
• Email: Helpdesk@IMAGEmd.org
• Text or Leave a Voice mail message: (410) 357-1546
• Bridges Helpdesk Facebook page or Facebook Messenger

This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.