Blind people and their supporters rallied Tuesday against Uber and Lyft in San Francisco, claiming the ride share apps discriminate against them.
Tuesday's rally started at 10 a.m. in front of Uber headquarters in Mission Bay. Another rally then happened at 1:30 p.m. in front of Lyft headquarters in China Basin.
The National Federation of the Blind led Tuesday's rally, and its members told NBC Bay Area they hope to draw more attention to what they say is the companies’ failure to stop discriminations against blind individuals, particularly those accompanied by guide dogs.
The ride denials violate not only the companies’ own state policies but also state and federal law, organizers said.
"For far too long the National Federation of the Blind has been urging the rideshare companies, both Uber and Lyft, to both take proactive action to make sure blind people are not discriminated against with their guide dogs," said National Federation of the Blind President Mark Riccobono.
"We have negotiated. We have talked. We've pleaded. We've pushed and pulled, but hundreds of blind people across the nation - in fact across the globe - continue to be discriminated against, and these companies refused to do anything about it, so we've brought it to the public, to the streets," Riccobono said.
This rally comes just months after NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit looked into complaints from blind riders from across the Bay Area who said they were being discriminated against because they ride with service animals. In May, we heard from Annalisa DiLeonardo and Linda MacLeod from San Jose who both rely on their guide dogs and said they're constantly cancelled on by rideshare drivers.
In July, the Investigative Unit was the first to report that the U.S. Department of Justice is looking into these complaints.
Guide Dogs for the Blind, based in San Rafael, recently found 83% of its clients reported being denied rides and said they shared their data with the DOJ.
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Protesters and their allies are demanding that Uber and Lyft implement a zero-tolerance policy for drivers who violate company policy, reduce the burden on reporting denials and deliver better driver education.
Uber released a statement, saying in part, "Our policies prohibit drivers from denying service because of a rider’s service animal or assistive device, and we are committed to implementing technology and policies that help make transportation more accessible."
That technology includes a new service animal handler self-identification pilot and an updated education module for drivers.
A Lyft spokesperson released the following statement on Tuesday:
“Discrimination has no place in the Lyft community. We strive to provide an inclusive and accessible platform for riders, including those who rely on service animals. We continually update our practices to improve accessibility for riders and are proud to be working directly with advocacy organizations in the community. This year, we are launching a Service Animal Opt-In feature, allowing riders to disclose that they travel with a service animal when requesting a ride. This feature is a significant step in our broader mission to ensure that riders feel safe and supported on our platform.”
Catch up on the Investigative Unit's reporting on the issue:
Part 1: Uber, Lyft drivers constantly cancel on blind passengers with guide dogs, San Jose teacher says
Part 2: US DOJ looking into Uber, Lyft ride refusals involving guide dogs
Part 3: Blind people rally against Uber, Lyft in SF claiming discrimination
