Like many others, I rely on rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to get around when I travel. I’m happy to report that most of my drivers are friendly and courteous, helping me load and unload my chair.
However, there have been exceptions.
Once, a driver peeled away from me when he realized I was a wheelchair user. It was like a bad movie! Another time, I was turned down because a driver thought my wheelchair would scratch his brand-new BMW.
Even when an accessible vehicle shows up, I’m not in the clear. Sometimes, the ramp doesn’t work, or it’s covered in junk. Or, the ramp works, but the driver doesn’t know how to operate it. If I travel with a service animal, sometimes a driver illegally denies me service because my dog might shed.
I order SUVs because I can easily transfer into them. However, certain SUVs, such as Suburbans, are too high. Last week, I kept getting a Suburban, leading to multiple cancellations. This caused my bank to block my card against potentially fraudulent activity. I was stranded, unable to use my credit card, and had to find an alternative way home.
If drivers were trained in disability etiquette, we would be treated with dignity and respect more often. We’d also get where we’re going faster and with less aggravation.
Uber and Lyft Must Commit to Equity and Inclusion
Rideshares have revolutionized transportation, offering numerous benefits to the mainstream community. However, these benefits are not extended to the disability community, largely due to the industry’s ableism and lack of initiative.
Although companies like Uber and Lyft have been around for over 10 years, they offer accessible rides in very few major cities. This patchwork of service availability shows how low our community ranks in their priorities—if we rank at all. This lack of options is not just inconvenient but a clear case of discrimination and unfair treatment.
It’s a matter of equity and inclusion. If rideshare is not accessible to us, it’s not inclusive or equitable for everyone.
Join Our Fight for Accessible Transportation
Of course, the problems with accessible transportation extend beyond rideshare. That is why our Policy and Advocacy team fights for better service from the skies to taxis to paratransit. We are on the frontline of making autonomous vehicles accessible now, before they roll out nationwide, to avoid having to retrofit yet another revolutionary transportation system, hopefully.
We know the need for accessibility doesn’t end when we finally board. That is why we are founding members of the SecureRide coalition, which is developing a wheelchair securement standard that can be applied to personal vehicles, rideshares, public transit, buses, rail, and low-speed shuttles.
Accessible transportation is a key part of our fight for a more accessible future. You can become part of our movement by joining our Accessible Transportation Working Group.
If we make our voices heard, we can all get where we want to go on time and hassle-free.
