PORTLAND, Oregon — Legally blind passengers in Oregon say Uber and Lyft drivers are canceling rides when drivers see their guide dogs — despite federal law and company policies prohibiting such discrimination.
"They'll pull up — 'No dog. No dog,'" said Erica Daniels of Fairview, who is legally blind and relies on her guide dog Wynn. "I've had times when I had two drivers back-to-back deny us."
Daniels captured one interaction with an Uber driver on her cell phone. Video footage shows the rideshare driver said he can't have dogs in his car. Daniels explained her guide dog is a service animal. The driver left and canceled the ride, according to Daniels.
The Uber and Lyft drivers will often use excuses such as they don't want their vehicles to get dirty, Daniels said. Recently, one driver told her recently he had a "deadly dog allergy" before canceling her ride. Daniels said she usually just gives up, then has to wait for another driver.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and Oregon law prohibit ride share drivers from discriminating based on disability. Both Uber and Lyft have clear policies requiring the accommodation of service animals.
"Lyft's policy and the law require all drivers to accept service animals regardless of allergies, fear or religious or cultural objections," explains a Lyft training video posted online.
Despite these company policies, KGW found discrimination continues to happen.
"The humiliation of begging for the privilege of giving them your money, begging for the right to get into the car and get somewhere; it was humiliating," said Patricia Kepler of Aloha.
Kepler, who is legally blind, relies on her guide dog, Gus. They've had numerous Uber and Lyft rides canceled.
"One day, it took four rides. I had three cancelations before the fourth ride finally showed up," said Kepler.
Another legally blind passenger, Sharon Zenger of Gresham, said she too has been turned away by ride share drivers refusing to take her guide dog Reagan.
"I've been hanging on to the handle of a car before with a driver yelling, 'No dog. No dog' and driving off with my hand on the handle," she said.
The stress of being rejected by Uber or Lyft drivers repeatedly can be overwhelming, she added.
"It takes an emotional toll on you. It makes you feel like you are less of a human," said Zenger. "It makes me feel like I don't have the same rights as everyone else."
In response to KGW's questions, a Lyft spokesperson wrote, "Discrimination has no place in the Lyft community."
Uber responded, "We urge any rider who experiences a service denial to report it to us so we can take appropriate action, which may include permanent deactivation of a driver’s account."
Uber and Lyft reached settlements in 2016 and 2017, respectively, after being sued by the National Federation of the Blind. As a result, the companies said they made their service animal policies clear, worked to educate drivers and made it easier to file complaints.
NBC News reported the Justice Department is investigating ride share refusals.
This fall, both Uber and Lyft created new opt-in features, where riders can edit their profile to pre-alert drivers they have a service animal — and avoid confusion at pick-up. But, the National Federation of the Blind argues, that only works after a rider and driver are paired, not before. Otherwise, drivers will just cancel once they realize the person has a guide dog.
"They're going to see right off the bat there's a dog and move on," said Kepler. "It is going to make the wait time even longer."