The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced on Wednesday a landmark settlement with rideshare companies must accommodate riders with a disability, and drivers cannot refuse rides to Minnesotans because they have a service dog.
Commissioner Lucero announced a settlement agreement with Lyft that followed discrimination against Tori Andres, a blind college student who travels with her service dog, Alfred. Between 2021 and 2023, multiple drivers canceled rides after seeing Alfred, once causing Andres to miss a critical medical appointment.
“For people with disabilities, access to rideshares like Lyft is not a convenience, it is a civil right,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “This settlement with Lyft is an important step forward. It makes it clear that Minnesota will hold transportation providers accountable, and it reinforces that Minnesotans must be treated with dignity and afforded full access under the law.”
The agreement follows a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Human Rights, which found that Lyft drivers repeatedly canceled rides for Tori Andres, a Minnesotan traveling with her service animal. While the case focused on one individual, it reflects broader concerns raised by Minnesotans with disabilities across the state who experience canceled rides from rideshare services and other service denials.
Tori Andres is one of the Minnesotans who brought a complaint of discrimination to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against a rideshare company. Andres is blind and travels with a service dog that is trained to assist her with daily tasks. “This case has been deeply personal to me,” said Tori Andres. “My guide dog Alfred is my freedom, he is the reason that I am able to live my life as a college student and athlete completely independently. I will never stop fighting for my rights and the many service dog teams out there who deserve to go about their lives without worrying about access issues.”
The Disability Law Center, which represented the plaintiff in the Lyft case, highlighted how rideshare refusals can be a common issue for people with disabilities, leading to missed work hours and doctor’s appointments. “Under Minnesota law, people with disabilities have the right to access transportation services with their service animals, yet refusals still happen far too often,” said Chad Wilson, a supervising attorney from Minnesota Disability Law Center of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, who represented Andres in the case. “This agreement reinforces accountability, advances Lyft’s compliance, and warns transportation companies and their drivers that denying service to riders with service animals is illegal. No one should be turned away from a ride simply because they are traveling with a service animal.”
“On-demand transportation is essential to daily life,” said David Dively, executive director of the Minnesota Council on Disability. “This settlement underscores the importance of protecting riders who use service animals from discrimination and ensuring equal access in practice. We welcome continued progress with rideshare providers to strengthen access, accountability, and independence for Minnesotans with disabilities.”
Between November 2021 and January 2023, Lyft drivers canceled multiple rides after learning rider Tori Andres was traveling with a service animal. Andres has a trained service dog that wears a leather harness typical of guide dogs trained to support people with visual disabilities. In one instance, a Lyft driver hung up the phone and canceled the ride immediately after being informed about the service animal by Andres’ mother, who was providing directions to the driver. In another, two separate drivers canceled within minutes of each other after seeing the service animal, causing Andres to miss a medical appointment.
The Department of Human Rights concluded that Lyft violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits public places—including rideshare vehicles— from denying people access because they have a disability.
