Posted on December 15, 2025
Letter to the Editor by Claire Stanley, published in the Washington Post on December 15, 2025.
For most people in D.C., hailing a ride is a mundane act. You tap a few buttons, wait a few minutes, get in and go. It is an extremely convenient way to get door to door when other options aren’t the right fit. For those of us who are blind or have low vision, that same routine is a source of profound anxiety because of uncertainty that I will be accepted by the driver.
This is the reality of traveling with a guide dog. Despite federal laws prohibiting discrimination, rideshare denials are a weekly, if not daily, indignity. Blind Washingtonians are frequently left curbside because drivers refuse to transport a service animal.
Recently, I experienced a glimpse of a future where that anxiety does not exist: I traveled to the West Coast on a business trip and hailed a Waymo. These vehicles use advanced technology to navigate complex city streets entirely on their own. It’s a dream for someone like me.
For the first time in a long time, I did not feel like a passenger with a “special request.” I was just a passenger. The sensors on the car did not care that I was blind. They were focused on getting me safely to my destination.
This renewed sense of independence is why many blind and low-vision Washingtonians are excited about Waymo’s arrival in D.C. District officials need to provide a legal path for Waymo to remove the human from the vehicle and accept all riders.
We support this technology because it breaks down the isolation so many of us face, and promises a driver that doesn’t discriminate, and is never distracted or impaired, yielding safety benefits for everyone.
Claire Stanley, Rockville
The writer is director of advocacy and governmental affairs at the American Council of the Blind.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/15/waymo-self-driving-c…