Uber wants to make riding with a service animal easier

Uber introduced a new feature designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to ride with service animals.

For years, Uber’s policies toward service animals have been in accordance with state and federal law: they are allowed to ride at all times at no extra cost. But now the company is allowing customers to self-identify as owners of service animals in order to give drivers more visibility when to expect a furry companion. The new feature also includes a warning to drivers to avoid cancelling rides or discriminating against customers with service animals.

The new feature was “developed over the past two years in collaboration with leading advocacy organizations and service animal handlers, that will help make the Uber experience even better,” Chris Yoon, product managver for equity at Uber, said in a blog post.

Owners of a service animals can now go into their settings on the Uber app and fill out an eligibility form and select the option that will identify them as someone who will ride with a service animal. They can also choose whether to notify drivers of that fact – though that’s not required.

If a rider opts into notifying drivers and a driver requests to cancel their trip at pickup, the driver will receive a notification reminding them it’s against the law to refuse to transport someone because of their service animal and confirming that they wish to proceed with the cancellation. “Any driver who violates this policy may permanently lose access to the platform,” Yoon says.

Uber already offers pet-friendly rides in some cities, so the hope is that customers won’t try to abuse the feature by registering non-service animals. Still, the Americans with Disabilities Act specifically prohibits requesting documentation or special identification for service animals.

As Uber spokesperson Sarah Casanovas notes, “federal ADA guidance suggests asking the following questions when it is not obvious what service an animal provides: 1) is your animal required because of a disability, and 2) what work or task has your animal been trained to perform.” Uber also has policies related to “emotional support animals,” to which drivers have discretion to deny rides if they choose.

But while Uber Pet drivers can also charge riders a cleaning fee if their furry companions shed or, um, deposit any surprises in the backseat, drivers cannot do the same for riders with service animals. In fact, if riders with service animals are improperly charged a cleaning fee by a driver, they can request a refund from the company.