ACB Announces Sessions with Uber
Margie Donovan
I would love to see the GDUI board write a letter to the ACB board over this topic. This is wrong!
Margie Donovan
Deborah Ver Steeg
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jun 3, 2026, at 11:17 AM, Margie Donovan <margie....@outlook.com> wrote:
>
> I am expressing my personal opinion. I think it is deplorable that ACB would inviting Uber to our convention knowing that the DOJ has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court re service dog discrimination. ACB also gets financial support for the convention from Uber. To me as a GDUI life member and as an ACB life member, I am quite unpleased with ACB on this topic. We should never invite any company to our conventions that have a long history of discrimination against our own members.
> I would love to see the GDUI board write a letter to the ACB board over this topic. This is wrong!
>
> Margie Donovan
>
> You are receiving this message because you have subscribed to the Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) Chat list, either via email or via the Web.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GDUI Chat" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to chat+uns...@guidedogusersinc.org.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/guidedogusersinc.org/d/msgid/chat/BN7PR08MB4482181DE2B39E1A1802D15FA5132%40BN7PR08MB4482.namprd08.prod.outlook.com.
Maria Kristic
no fee
UZURV is a rideshare provider, built from the ground up, to provide transportation that works for people with disabilities, including those who are blind
or have low-vision. Since our founding in 2017, we have expanded to serve approximately forty communities in sixteen states and the District of Columbia,
including ten of the top twenty paratransit markets in the country. In 2024, we launched the UZURV Ride app, and we look forward to serving more riders
in more communities in the future. We have three goals for this session. First, we want to acknowledge and thank our riders who have helped us learn and
grow over the years. Second, we are seeking feedback on what you enjoy about our service, what you would like to see us improve or expand. Finally, we
want to introduce a free online toolkit that you can use to advocate for better transportation in our community. To attend, you must be a current UZURV
rider, and you must register online at https://uzurv.com/rider-conference-event/. There are twelve slots available, so please sign up today.
Patty Fletcher
To my knowledge we’re not having sessions with Uber this year. As far as sponsorship, well, Uber and Lift both discriminate but unless you have a better suggestion for travel for those who do not have any other choices during off hours of their transportation we still must use them. So, I don’t suppose I truly see the difference.
JMO.
I do not need to agree with nor like everything either ACB or GDUI does completely to support them in a harmonious fashion.
Patty Fletcher
Sent: Saturday, 13 June 2026 17:05:33
To: 'Patty Fletcher' <patty.vo...@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Traveling with Uber and other means of transportation
Hello Patty,
I agree, jail time for the drivers; large fines for the company; might work. But getting the government to support that is a stretch.
Even if the government was behind us, people have to change first.
Respect for each-other seems to be lacking in our society
Like you, I worked and traveled with a guide for over fifty years.
My employers didn’t have a problem with my guide because I cleaned their crate at one job; Swept or vacuumed at others.
And I groomed my dogs every day.
Even if an owner has a well groomed dog, we know they still shed.
A friend has a yellow lab and they seem to shed more than others, but I think their fur just shows up more. Back to the point, she had tube type t-shirts made for the dog and that helps the amount of hair left on upholstery. They are very light and washable.
She uses them when in a uber, or a private auto. Charlie loves it.
Thanks to all of you for fighting for our equality.
Truie
From: Patty Fletcher <patty.vo...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2026 1:21 PM
To: truie...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Traveling with Uber and other means of transportation
I’m not sure if this is going to the entire group or to the sender. I am using my phone if this does not go to the whole group please see that it gets there. Thank youSo I am going to go back on one thing that I said, and I am going to say this because I have said it before in places of public meeting.
In my opinion, and this is more as I say as a guy, dog handler and also as having been a professional guy dog handler, which means I handled my dog while doing my job and my dog was at times relative.
That all having been said and explained, I believe three things must happen before we will resolve these issues. Or in my mind any issues.
One, the government must back us up 100% and businesses must step in line sub part to be of this. There must be much stricter laws on violators. Jail time would please me greatly.
The next thing that must happen, and please think before you reply to this. There must be cohesiveness between all of the blindness, groups, and everyone working in the same vein on the same goals of accessibility in all venues that we have.
And lastly, we must all find, and Ground on which to stand and not all need to be right.
Now I love all y’all very much and I don’t wanna start a controversy.
I’m just saying that there’s been too much argument between all of us and how can we expect to accomplish anything if none of us can agree on what needs to be done. We are not any of us including me. Going to get everything we want. Thank you very much now I’m going back under my rock.
Get Outlook for iOS
From:
truie...@gmail.com <truie...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2026 7:04:52 PM
To: 'Patty Fletcher' <patty.vo...@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Traveling with Uber and other means of transportation
As you all know, this isn’t new for blind travelers.
My first guide in 1972, was a large German Shepherd. Bus drivers would pass me up because they were afraid of dog; they didn’t want a wet dog on their bus; they were late on the schedule, ETC. And I was left at the bus stop in the pouring down rain. Or in the heat or cold for an hour until the next bus.
But I still had to ride the bus, or take a cab I couldn’t afford.
Complaining to the Metro Bus Company, was a waist of my time and breath.
My last guide was a Doberman. While exiting the elevator at a doctor’s office, a nurse started oohing and baby talking my dog and petting him.
Sometimes I long for the good old days when people saw a German shepherd or a Doberman, and screamed and ran.
A lady and her guide was in line to catch the Greyhound bus in Indianapolis, going to Columbus, Ohio.
at the same time Dancing with the Star auditions were taking place in Columbus.
The people going to be interviewed for the program, pushed her out of the way and got on the bus. The driver ignored her protest and got on the bus and closed the door in her face.
I’m 78 years old, and it seems people haven’t changed much. 😒
Uber cab drivers don’t want to pick up a blind person with a dog, but they will wait outside a bar to pick up a drunk that might upchuck in their car. But they don’t want dog hair.
There are tons of stories like this out there. I hope you all keep trying to make it different.
Truie