Needless to say, Uber Technologies has had it’s fair share of ups and downs over the course of the past couple months. And now, to top it off, the San Francisco-based company was sued on July 18 by disability rights groups. Why? Because the groups believe that Uber violates New York City human rights law by failing to make the majority of its vehicles accessible to disabled people.
According to the complaint, Uber is the source of “pervasive and ongoing discrimination” because people in wheelchairs are only able to use a few dozen of its more than 58,000 vehicles in the city. Additionally, the complaint stated that Uber offers wheelchair-accessible rides through its UberWAV service, but fewer than 100 vehicles in the city provide it.
“Riders either face very long wait times or can’t get rides at all,” said Rebecca Serbin, a staff attorney for Disability Rights Advocates. Serbin added, “The human rights law reflects the City Council’s commitment to accessibility. Uber is flagrantly violating that law.”
Tuesday’s lawsuit was brought forth by the Brooklyn Center for Independence for the Disabled, Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York, and the Taxis for All Campaign. The case follows examples in Washington and Chicago accusing Uber of violating other laws which protect the disabled. The complaint is looking to require Uber to create a plan that ensures “full and equal access” for those that need accessible transportation.
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