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Guide Dogs calls for a FARE GO!
Guide Dogs today launches its Taxi and Rideshare statement, calling for reforms to the Disability Discrimination Act.
Earlier this week the Justice and Equity Centre announced that Guide Dog user Paula Hobley will be taking Uber all the way to Federal Court after she had 32 ride refusals. Research from Guide Dogs shows that Guide Dog Handlers are regularly discriminated against. Guide Dogs Australia is calling for reforms to the Disability Discrimination Act and a suite of measures being adopted across State and Territory governments to hold taxi and rideshare companies accountable to ensure legal obligations are being upheld by drivers.
Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a business to discriminate against a person because of their disability, including by refusing access because they use an assistance dog, yet the issue is persistent.
Image desciption: Paula Hobley and her Guide Dog, Kristin, waiting for a rideshare. Image credit: Emma Kirby
‘Unfortunately, Paula is not the only one facing this problem. It’s an all-too-common experience in the Guide Dog community.’ Said Lee Kumutat, National Advocacy and Policy Manager at Guide Dogs and fellow Guide Dog Handler.
‘Refusals by rideshare drivers and taxis continue to happen too regularly. In a recent report commissioned by Guide Dogs when Guide Dog Handlers talked to us about challenges, nearly 50% of them said they had issues with a rideshare or taxi company in the past two years. Over one third of these said their taxi or rideshare was cancelled, and while another 15% were ridiculed or discriminated against in some other way in rideshare situations.
‘Revelations this week of alleged systemic fraud and drivers assaulting and overcharging passengers including some of our most vulnerable members of the community, only reinforce the urgent need for transparent and immediate action and reform to both the rideshare and taxi industry,’ Ms Kumutat said.
Guide Dogs Australia is calling for other people to report similar incidents of rideshare and taxi refusals on their website. Please share your story here.
Guide Dogs Australia has released its Taxi and Rideshare Policy today and it is available on their website here.
