Uber and Lyft have to do much more for disabled passengers, especially the blind and the visually-impaired-according to activists who protested outside their headquarters on October 15.

According to Wired, protesters recounted their experiences with drivers passing them by, or denying them the luxury of a ride even when accompanied by their guide dogs. They suggested that ride-hailing firms should make an effort to train the drivers in making the mode of transportation accessible to the visually impaired and exercise a "zero-tolerance" policy for discriminatory drivers.

We are focused on making Lyft an inclusive and accessible platform for riders, including those who rely on service animals," said a Lyft spokesperson. They said the company is "working directly with advocacy organizations in the community" and also pointed to an upcoming "service animal opt-in feature" that should launch by 2025.

The company said that feature earlier this month, as part of a profile of a new product manager, Shreya Shankar, who said this will allow riders to "declare that they have a service animal," doing so only once, thereby alerting the driver before pickup.
"That way there shouldn't be any surprises-or confusion or frustration from getting stranded," Shankar said.