Paula Hobley, a Victorian woman who relies on the assistance of a Guide Dog, is taking the ride-sharing company Uber to the Federal Court after being refused a ride on 32 different occasions.
Hobley, who lives in regional Victoria, is blind and uses rideshare services for everyday situations, including attending medical appointments, shopping and meeting friends.
She claims that between March 2021 and November 2022, Uber drivers refused to pick her up 32 times after she let the driver know she was travelling with her Guide Dog, Vonda.
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Hobley filed a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, claiming discrimination by Uber and its drivers. The Commission’s conciliation process couldn’t resolve the issue, so Paula, represented by the Justice and Equity Centre, filed a case in the Federal Court.
“The law in Australia is clear: a business providing a service cannot discriminate against a person with a disability”, says Lawyer and CEO of the Justice and Equity Centre, Jonathon Hunyor. “This sort of repeated conduct by Uber’s drivers shows it’s a problem the company needs to fix.”
