Taxis and Rental Cars

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, discrimination is defined broadly to include refusing to provide transportation service, or providing unequal service, to individuals with disabilities who can physically access the vehicle. The Regulations expressly state that such entities “shall permit service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in vehicles.”

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Taxis must allow users of service animals to be transported, and rental car companies must allow users of service animals. Taxi companies or rental car companies are not permitted to require service animals to be kept in kennels or charge a pet deposit, but they may charge for damages caused by a service animal, as long as the company normally charges for pet damage.

In 2010, David New, president of Access Now, Inc., conducted a test of Miami Beach taxi cabs for a report of WPLG reporter Jeff Weinsier, and demonstrated how difficult it was for taxis to stop for a man with a guide dog. See the report here. Recently, Uber was sued by the National Federation of the Blind for refusing to serve customers with service animals and putting the dog in the trunk. It filed the lawsuit to educate its drivers about disability rights and punish the violators in addition to providing a way for disabled passengers to immediately register complaints

Disability Independence Group and has had many cases against taxi companies, limousine services and other public and private transportation open to the public that refuse to rent to persons with service animals.