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Vision Australia’s Government Relations team is taking a more direct approach with taxi and rideshare providers and regulators, as it continues to fight the issue of dog guide refusals.
Vision Australia Director of Government Relations and Advocacy and Seeing Eye Dog handler Chris Edwards said the issue of refusals is one of the most explicit examples of discrimination faced by people who are blind or have low vision.
“Taxi and rideshare refusals are one of the most widespread and harmful forms of discrimination that people who are blind or have low vision experience in Australia today.
“This discrimination increases people’s isolation, reduces their ability to participate in their community, and has a damaging effect on their mental health.”
In recent times, Vision Australia has been placing significant emphasis on working with regualators and operators to educate drivers around their legal obligations and the need to accept travellers with Seeing Eye Dogs and other assistance animals.
Recent highlights of this work include:
Working with Safe Transport Victoria
Safe Transport Victoria (STV) is resposnsible for regulating Victoria’s commercial passenger vehicles, including all taxi and rideshare vehicles in the state.
Vision Australia has been fortunate to work with STV to engage directly with commercial passenger vehicle drivers and operators in recent years.
Three Seeinge Eye Dog handlers featured as part of a video education campaign, which highlights both the legal rights of Seeing Eye Dogs and also the impact a refusal has on a handler.
Seeing Eye Dogs was also invited by STV to attend the Drive With Heart event at Melbourne Airport in early April, were handlers and Seeing Eye Dogs staff had the opportunity talk directly with drivers and correct their concerns or misconceptions.
Catption: The Seeing Eye Dogs team was popular at the Drive With Heart event.
Improving driver training with Uber
Vision Australia was pleased to be asked by Uber to be a key voice in its work to educate driver about the need to accept Seeing Eye Dogs and all assistance animals into their vehicles.
Chris Edwards features in a new driver education video that all Uber drivers must watch and understand before they are allowed to operate as Uber drivers.
“It’s great to see an Uber taking a firm stance on this issue, and I hope others across the transport mix follow suit, so that we can start to see a reduction in assistance animal discrimination, and help people with disabilities move around with the same independence and freedom as everyone else,” Chris said.
Chris and others from the Seeing Eye Dog team launched the new video at a special event with Uber drivers in Sydney in late April.
Caption: Seeing Eye Dog instructor Mikaela gave a demonstration for Uber drivers.
Engaging with 13 Cabs drivers
A Vision Australia delegation was excited to be invited to attend 13 Cabs’ recent Professional Driver Expo in Melbourne.
Attending the expo meant the delegation was able to speak directly to 13 Cabs staff and individual drivers and highlight the vital role point to point transport, such as taxis, play in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision and why Seeing Eye Dog refusals have such a negative impact on a handler’s life.
Caption: Chris Edwards and Seeing Eye Dog Eva took the chance to talk with driver at the 13 Cabs Expo.