Miami-Dade blind woman says Uber driver refused her a ride over service dog

An Aventura woman shared a video showing the Uber driver who refused to give her a ride.

Robbie Esper, who is legally blind and uses hearing aids, said the ride was canceled because of her service dog Ted.

“She went ballistic on me and she said she was going to call the police,” Esper said. “It makes me feel like a second-class citizen.”

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a guide dog is a type of service animal trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities and generally can go wherever their handler goes.

Uber’s website is clear: Drivers legally can’t deny service to riders with service animals.

Uber entered into a settlement agreement with the National Federation of the Blind in 2016. According to officials with the Department of Justice, Uber agreed to require drivers to provide equal service to people with disabilities who use service animals. The agreement has since expired.

Esper said she has experienced problems with the rideshare service in the past.

In 2019, Uber suspended a driver for refusing Esper and a guide dog at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

In this most recent incident, Esper thought choosing Uber Pet, a more expensive and pet-friendly service, would mean less hassle. She said she called for the ride with a friend, who also uses a guide dog.

Attorney Matthew Dietz said Ted should be able to go where Esper travels.

“Just like you can’t refuse a person because they’re Black, Hispanic, a woman— you can’t refuse a person with a disability,” Dietz said.

In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said, “What this rider experienced is incredibly frustrating. All drivers agree to transport service animals when signing up on the Uber app, and we have a dedicated team that investigates service animal-related reports. We have investigated this case and taken appropriate action.”

Local 10 has asked for the service to clarify the specific action and we are waiting to hear back.

“I want people to know that people like me and millions of others have disabilities and we rely on service dogs,” Esper said. Why should we be afraid to ask for help and live a normal life like everybody else?”