Uber has been called out by service dog users who are fed up with ride rejections

salome soulOmen, who is legally blind, She relies on two things to get around in Ottawa: her guide dog, Zurich, and Uber.

but she says canadian Chief The rideshare service continues to let the service animal down by failing to uphold its legal right to ride with the animal.

Frequent Uber user Solomon says he was refused service about 20 times last year by drivers who refused to carry his guide dog. She has filed several complaints with the company, and says she has now reached her limit.

“Every rejection breaks you, so, for me, it basically hits deep. It’s like a knife to my heart,” Solomon said, wiping away tears.

When she can, she shoots a video record of her riding rejection.

In the video, which she shot last August, Solomon is seen leading her guide dog to a waiting Uber. The driver shakes his head, apparently signaling Zurich is not welcome.

She tells the man, “He’s not a pet, he’s my guide dog. You can’t deny me admittance.” Nevertheless, he leaves her there and runs away.

under Canadian human rights lawPeople with disabilities have a legal right to travel with a service animal. Still, rideshare rejections remain a persistent problem. a survey The survey, conducted by the advocacy group Guide Dogs for the Blind, found that 83 percent of 185 American and Canadian members surveyed reported rideshare rejection in the first two months of 2023.

On December 9, Solomon complained to Uber that he had been rejected twice by drivers that day. The company replied that it was investigating.

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The two videos that Solomon shot of those denials, similar to the video shot in August, each show the driver getting off as he and Jurich approach the car.

“At first I was angry, but then I became sad,” she said. “It makes you feel humiliated and it makes you feel very small.”

Uber responds

In accordance with Canadian law, Uber corporate policy The state says its drivers must accommodate service animals. But CBC’s Go Public interviewed several customers in Ontario who said they have been denied rides by Uber drivers over the past few months because of their service dogs.

Uber Canada spokesperson Kirtana Rang says the company is committed to accessible service and has taken concrete steps to address the problem over the past several years.

Efforts include a educational videosLaunching in 2024, Uber’s 100,000-plus drivers are a must-see. They also receive periodic email reminders about their legal obligations, he said.

Rang said drivers caught breaking the rules are banned from the rideshare app.

“We take this issue seriously,” he said. “We believe in equitable transportation for all Canadians.”

But disability advocate Jeff PrestonInaccessible transportation in Canada is a systemic issue and Uber isn’t doing enough to help Remedy it.

“Even though they may have a good plan, for some reason the implementation isn’t working,” said Preston, an associate professor of disability studies at Western University in London, Ontario.

“We need people behind the wheel who are open-minded and fundamentally understand their responsibilities. It’s that simple.”

Rang says Uber’s efforts are progress, acknowledging that ride rejections remain a problem.

“It’s outrageous. It’s painful and it’s completely unacceptable,” he said. “The only acceptable number of ride denials is zero. And that’s the number we’re working to get to.”

‘Begins to feel embarrassed’

However, Uber’s corporate commitments ring hollow to some people who face ride rejections.

“You have the money. You have the technology. You have the talent to do better,” James Wilkinson said, referring to Uber.

Wilkinson has autism and relies on her certified service dog, Bo, to help her cope with daily life, including travel. According to complaints submitted to the company that year, he uses Uber a few times a month, and was refused a ride six times in 2025.

“It’s definitely very disturbing every time it happens,” said Wilkinson, who lives in Toronto. “Sometimes I break down on the road and have to take a few minutes before trying to order the next Uber.”

On the day of Wilkinson’s interview in December, he and Bo were declined one of three Ubers they ordered that day.

The company sent Wilkinson a message confirming that the driver had canceled the ride. Uber said it would look into it and gave him a $15 credit.

“This happens so often that it starts to feel embarrassing,” Wilkinson said.

Another Uber driver transported her and Bo that same day, but charged him a $30 cleaning fee. After Wilkinson complained, Uber reimbursed him.

Uber’s self-ID solution

As part of its ongoing efforts, Uber Launched a new feature in February which reminds drivers of their legal obligations to transport people with service animals.

This feature found in its app allows users to identify themselves as a rider with a service animal. Drivers are informed of this information only at the pickup location.

If a driver requests to cancel a trip, Uber sends them a reminder of their obligations.

But use of the self-identification feature does not guarantee a ride. Wilkinson says he started using it in February, and, in addition, usually sends a message to drivers alerting them that they have a service dog.

Still, he says, all six of his rejections last year — including one in the United States — occurred after activating the feature.

Wilkinson said, “What’s the point of identifying myself? I’m actually giving them more opportunity to deny me.” “This is not a real solution.”

As for Solomon, she refuses to use the facility.

“I think it’s a joke. Why should we recognize that we are disabled?”

Spokeswoman Rang says she understands this viewpoint, which is why the feature is optional. She says this is another tool the company hopes will make a difference.

“We’ve heard that it’s improved the experience for some riders.”

Larissa Proctor, executive director of advocacy at the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB), says she has benefited from the facility.

Uber currently has a paid partnership With CNIB, and has worked on projects with the advocacy group since 2021 self-identification feature.

Proctor is blind and takes Ubers with her guide dog, Tulip. Since she started using the feature in March, she says she’s been denied service only once in her weekly Uber trips.

“Things have gotten better, but they’re still not perfect,” said Proctor, who lives in Milton, Ontario, a suburban community between Toronto and Hamilton.

On one occasion she was rejected in October 2025, Proctor says she was trying to get into a CNIB networking event with Uber in Toronto — to discuss the company’s efforts to accommodate riders with guide dogs.

“It’s never easy. It’s a horrible feeling,” said Proctor, who filed a complaint with Uber about the incident. The company said it is investigating.

“I think the work will not be done until everyone who uses a guide dog has equal access to Uber services.” Proctor said.