Riders can self-identify as travelling with an assistance animal through the Accessibility setting in the Uber app, which unlocks features designed to enhance their experience, including:
How to turn on self-ID
Riders with an assistance animal can follow these simple steps to use the feature:
What does this mean for drivers?
If a driver requests to cancel their trip at pickup for a self-identified rider with an assistance animal, regardless of their driver notification preference, the driver mayreceive an in-app notification reminding them it is against the law to refuse to transport someone because of their assistance animal.
Uber’s Assistance Animal policy
Regardless of whether a rider with an assistance animal chooses to use self-ID, the distress of being refused service because of an assistance animal is not something we take lightly at Uber and Uber’s Assistance Animal Policy and Community Guidelines are clear: drivers are prohibited from refusing service to riders with assistance animals or discriminating against them due to their assistance animal. If a driver refuses service, they must pass a knowledge check with 100% success to regain access to the platform. Outside of exceptional circumstances, a second refusal will result in permanent loss of access to the Uber driver app.
Any rider with an assistance animal who prefers not to use the feature but needs support can reach out to us through the app or over the phone as always.
Will you automatically share my accessibility needs with driver-partners?
No. Accessibility needs of riders will not be automatically made visible to driver-partners at any time, unless you elect to share this information. As part of the new self-ID feature, you can choose whether you want to disclose your Assistance Animal information with the driver at pick-up.
Will I need to wait longer for a driver-partner to accept my request?
No. Opting into the program does not have an impact on the usual wait time or reliability of the service.
What is the support phone number? All self-ID (upgraded from SAP) riders have access to Uber’s 24/7 specialised support:
Australia: +611800990532 New Zealand: +64800005374
How do I report a service denial?
Tap through the below in your rider app and follow the instructions from here: Help > Accessibility > Report a service denial, assistance or assistance animal issue or by following this link.
How do I submit feedback?
For other issues or general feedback, you can reach our support team via the phone lines listed above, or in the in-app help centre.
Being enrolled in SAP doesn’t automatically activate the new self-ID feature. You’ll need to enable self-ID separately in-app. If you’d like to opt out of SAP, please select the option below.