Taxis In Nation’s Capital Less Than Accommodating

[Kirsten]

Taxis In Nation’s Capital Less Than Accommodating

By SHAUN HEASLEY
September 9, 2010 Text Size  A  A
It’s a tough go trying to hail a cab in Washington, D.C. with a service dog by your side according to a recent study.

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/09/09/washington-taxi/10129/

[Kirsten]

Here's a direct link to the study that was referenced in the article:  http://www.equalrightscenter.org/site/DocServer/Taxicab_Report.pdf?docID=242

[fledchen]

I'm reading through the report on the study. I wish they'd had someone more knowledgeable about the subject proofread it. One of the references cited is the "American Federation for the Blind" despite the face that the URL goes to the American Foundation for the Blind website. It makes the report look very unprofessional.

[Kirsten]

I wish they had listed the cab companies involved in the test.  And how they scored.

[fledchen]

Comments on the design of the experiment/study:

1. In several of the photos, the blind person is standing right in front of a parked car. This might make it hard for the taxi driver to see the blind person in time to stop for them.

2. I like that they matched the blind person and the sighted person for age, race, sex, and clothing style to control the amount of variables. However, there was variation in the breed of dog and the school's harness design. People may not be familiar with GDB's European-style harness and may not recognize it as a guide dog harness. People also may be more likely to stop for a person with a Labrador or Golden rather than a GSD if they are afraid of dogs. It doesn't excuse the behavior but I think they are points to ponder.