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Lawsuit claims Uber discriminates against people with disabilities
Uber launched a couple of new programs back in 2014 to serve people who use wheelchairs. UberAssist is a way to hail an UberX driver trained in accessibility and whose car can accommodate a folding wheelchair. UberWAV will send you an actual accessible vehicle with a rear-entry ramp and safety features for riders with accessibility needs. These programs are only available in a handful of larger markets like New York Washington DC or Portland, unfortunately. In addition, Uber may not have provided these services in equal ways to riders who need them even in cities where these programs exist. The Washington, DC-based Equal Rights Center (ERC) is suing Uber for denying that equal access to people with disabilities, claiming that the company is in violation of Title 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the DC Human Rights Act.
Uber's new services bring ridesharing to wheelchair users
If you rely on a wheelchair, you've largely been left on the sidelines of the ridesharing phenomenon. While plans have been in the works for some time, there hasn't really been a concrete accessibility strategy. Uber is improving that state of affairs, though, by launching new programs to accommodate disabled passengers. UberAssist, which is launching in Houston today, lets you hail an UberX driver who's trained in accessibility and can accommodate folding wheelchairs. A follow-up coming in a few weeks, UberAccess, lets you order a vehicle with a wheelchair-friendly ramp. There's no mention of expansion to other cities so far.
