Though rideshare has been a great equalizer for blind travelers, consistent discrimination against blind riders-especially guide dog users-has been a relentless issue that has not been meaningfully addressed by Uber and Lyft, the most popular ride-sharing services in the United States. After years of good-faith attempts at a resolution, hundreds of blind people rallied in front of the corporate headquarters of both companies in San Francisco, CA, on White Cane Awareness Day, October 15, 2024, to demand that our right to ride be upheld. In this episode, we'll hear from Lindsay Kerr and Colin Wong, two students who attended the rally. They'll share their own personal rideshare denial stories, their experiences at the rally, reactions to recent developments, including Uber's unlawful self-identification program for blind riders, and what they hope rideshare companies will take away from our advocacy.
This show was hosted by Noah Carver and Akliesia Teshome. It was produced by Noah Carver, Naudia Graham, Selene Monjaraz, and Akliesia Teshome. Our editor for this episode is James Yesel. Our NABS Board Representative is Manahil Jafri. Special thanks to Marcy Carpenter and Gene Kim for their support in making this episode possible.
Follow NABS on social media, visit our website, and join our mailing list and WhatsApp community: linktr.ee/nabslink.
Adventures with Eve: www.adventureswitheve.com/.
2024 National Federation of the Blind Scholarships: nfb.org/scholarships.
Learn more:
October 2024 Presidential Release Live: th-cam.com/users/livexphq_PFDdEE.
“Uber Almost Got Me Killed!” by Ronza Othman: nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm24/bm2409/bm240904.htm.
National Federation of the Blind to Raise Awareness of Discrimination by Rideshare Companies: nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-raise-awareness-discrimination-rideshare-companies.
“Rideshare Advocacy on Unlawful Implementation of Self-Identification” by President Mark Riccobono: nfb.org/blog/rideshare-advocacy-unlawful-implementation-self-identification.