The National Federation for the Blind is suing ride-sharing service Uber for discriminating against customers with disabilities. Several individuals allege that Uber drivers have refused to serve customers with service animals or have forced service animals to ride in the trunk. This seems like a pretty clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities, although Uber is trying to claim that it isn’t responsible for the actions of independent contractors. This lawsuit also raises some interesting questions about the “sharing economy” and its capacity to accommodate customers with disabilities. People with disabilities should be able to fully participate in this economy, but how do we ensure that private citizens–who are not employees-understand their obligations to provide reasonable accommodations?
