"Woman takes Uber to Federal Court over repeated guide dog refusals", 19 February 2025

...Paula Hobley ... said Uber drivers have been increasingly refusing to pick her up because they don't want to take her guide dog.

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Fed-up, Ms Hobley is now suing the rideshare giant in the Federal Court, alleging drivers have acted contrary to the Disability Discrimination Act.

She first took a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, but it could not be resolved through the conciliation process so she decided to take it to the Federal Court.

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Uber said it could not comment on the case as legal proceedings had begun.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the "distress of being refused service because of an assistance animal" was something the company didn't take lightly.

"Driver partners on the platform must comply with relevant laws on the transportation of riders with disabilities, including providing service to those with assistance animals," they said.

"They receive training upon signing up and ongoing education to reinforce these responsibilities. If a driver refuses service, they must pass a knowledge check with 100 per cent success to regain access to the platform. A second refusal results in permanent loss of access to the Uber driver app."

The spokesperson said Uber would keep working with stakeholders "to enhance our initiatives and prevent service refusals happening".

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