US DOJ sues Uber for allegedly discriminating against disabled customers – JURIST
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on September 13, 2025
The US Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc., claiming the company has engaged in discriminatory practices against clients with disabilities.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and alleges that Uber violated Title III of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The department asserts that Uber has denied service to disabled customers who require wheelchairs, mobility devices, and service animals to be transported with them during travel. Moreover, the DOJ claims that Uber charged those customers “cancellation fees” after “unlawfully” denying them their ride.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division stated on Friday, “For too long, blind riders have suffered repeated ride denials by Uber because they are traveling with a service dog.” The department claimed that in one instance, four drivers in the span of 17 minutes allegedly cancelled rides for a blind rider, Jeff Clark from Philadelphia, after finding out he needed to bring his guide dog.
The DOJ described several other reported examples of Uber’s unlawful refusal of disabled passengers and discriminatory remarks by employees. In one instance, an amputee, who was 7 years old, was to travel home in an UberXL after attending a birthday party. Instead, the Uber driver allegedly refused to offer the child and his family a ride, claiming the child’s wheelchair would not fit in his car. The DOJ stated that the child’s mother, however, “routinely stows his wheelchair into smaller, standard-sized sedans, and was certain that [the] wheelchair could fit into [the driver’s] SUV.” The driver reportedly refused to allow the mother to cancel the ride, resulting in a fee and leaving the family “stranded” for 45 minutes.
Attorney Craig H. Missakian of the Northern District of California argued, “Rideshare companies like Uber are prohibited from denying riders with disabilities the same access to transportation that riders without disabilities enjoy … This complaint underscores the United States’ commitment to enforcing the ADA’s promise of equal access.”
This is not the first time Uber has faced controversy regarding their service to disabled passengers. In 2021, plaintiffs attested that Uber refused to offer a “wheelchair accessible device” to them, the same violation alleged on Thursday of Title III of the ADA.
The title states, “No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.” Moreover, the title inadvertently includes that private ride share companies such as Uber are “covered” by the act and are to comply with the ADA’s standards.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction that bars Uber from further breaches of the ADA. Additionally, it is estimated that the DOJ will look to secure civil fines and mandate that Uber reform their company policies regarding disabled passenger service. A specific date and time for the case is not yet set.
