The arrival of Uber and Lyft have helped to fill the gap when it comes to the lack of transportation but people with disabilities have been left to face discrimination when it comes to this form of transportation.
People who are blind or have low vision and use a guide dog face discrimination from these ride share services. There have been many complaints of drivers canceling the ride when they realize the person has a guide dog.
Wheelchair users are also impacted due to a lack of accessibility and understanding. This article explains how challenging it can be at times for a wheelchair user to get an Uber or Lyft. It can take more than twice as long to get a ride for a wheelchair user.
People with disabilities must have equal access to these ride share services. They are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I want to continue to bring awareness to this issue because drivers need to be educated on this topic. I think that a solution could be to have a category that riders could select that would identify them as wheelchair users or that they have a guide dog. Drivers could sign up to a category that accepts dogs and the same process for wheelchairs. There has been legal action taken regarding this issue and there have been some improvements but more can be done.
Let us all continue to battle discrimination against people with disabilities.
Can you relate to this? Share your experience in the comments below.
Jazmin Ruiz 