Uber has agreed to a settlement brought on by the National Federation of the Blind after it was accused of discriminatory practices against visually-impaired people with guide dogs.
The organization filed the lawsuit in September 2014 claiming among other things that an Uber driver drove off when he saw a guide dog, yelling “no dogs;” a driver put a guide dog in a trunk and charging cancellation fees after drivers refused to transport them.
For its part, Uber stated that because it was simply a platform providing a ride-hailing service it wasn’t required by law to transport service animals.
Related: What It Takes to Be a Guide Dog
The judge wasn’t buying it, refusing to dismiss the lawsuit last year. The transportation company agreed to settle before going to trial. It also agreed to ban any driver who acted in a discriminatory fashion against people with guide dogs, will pay the legal fees of the defendants and will spend $225,000 so the National Federation of the Blind and its California affiliate can evaluate the company’s compliance with the settlement.
Related: Meet a Blind Pup and His Inseparable ‘Guide’ Dog
“Access to reliable and effective transportation is critical to the ability of blind people to live the lives we want,” said Mark A. Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind. “Uber and similar services can be a great asset to the blind when they are fully and equally available to us.”
Under these terms, Uber does not admit liability and denies violating the law.
“Our goal at Uber is to make transportation options more accessible to all individuals, including those who are blind, low-vision or have other disabilities,” the company said in a statement.
Related: Despite Being Blind, This Rescue Dog Loves Every Moment
