Paula Hobley, a woman with vision disability from Victoria, has filed a Federal Court case against Uber after repeatedly being refused rides due to her guide dog. The lawsuit sheds light on ongoing issues of disability discrimination in transportation services.
For years, Hobley has relied on guide dogs to navigate her daily life safely and independently. Services like Uber and taxis are essential for her to visit friends, shop for necessities, and attend medical appointments. However, she says Uber drivers have increasingly denied her rides, alleging they violated disability discrimination laws by refusing her guide dog on dozens of occasions.
“As a person with a disability, I’m not a second-class citizen — I have the right to access services in the same way as everyone else,” said Ms. Hobley.
Jonathon Hunyor — the CEO of the Justice and Equity Centre, which is representing Ms Hobley — said Uber needed to do better.
“They make handsome profits out of this system. They owe it to the community to make sure that system doesn’t discriminate,” he said.
Uber says it doesn’t take ride refusals lightly and is “committed to working with stakeholders” to prevent it.
