On Monday, Uber launched a new set of features that could eliminate some of the difficulties for people with service animals. The company is now allowing drivers to be automatically notified that they are traveling with a service animal.
In his blog post, Chris Yoon, Uber’s product manager, wrote that he “joined Uber with a special mission: to help expand access to shared rides, including for those who rely on service animals.” He says that he and other blind travelers often let drivers know in advance if they have service animals. Today’s new features can automate this procedure for them if they want to.
Drivers who plan to cancel rides will have to think twice – and not just once. If a driver requests a cancellation after learning about a service animal, Uber will automatically send a reminder to the app that this is not only against company policy, but also against the law. Uber says that drivers who refuse to ride with service animals “may permanently lose access to the platform.”
Passengers who use the new feature will automatically receive a notification after the driver cancels the ride, asking what happened and offering additional support. Those who do not use this feature can contact the company through the app or by phone.
Drivers can set up the feature in the Uber app. Go to Account > Settings > Accessibility and tap Service Animals. You will then be asked to fill out an eligibility form and select which parts of the feature (e.g., advance driver notification) you want to enable.
