Are ride-hailing businesses Uber and Lyft ADA-compliant? Massachusetts AG has questions
The Massachusetts attorney general’s office is looking into how Lyft and Uber provide riders equal access, Reuters reports.
It may be the first state attorney general’s office to consider the question, according to the article. And in California, an administrative law judge recently fined the company $7.3 million for—among other things—withholding information about accessible vehicles from the California Public Utilities Commission.
Uber and Lyft have had discrimination actions brought against them. Last year, a coalition of Texas disability advocates sued Uber and Lyft, claiming that the companies violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the KVUE reported at the time.
Also, the National Federation of the Blind of California sued Uber for discrimination on the basis that it refuses to allow guide dogs in vehicles. The 2014 case (pdf) was filed in the Northern District of California, and the judge in April denied Uber’s motion to dismiss the case, Disability Rights Advocates noted at the time in a press release.
Last week, Uber introduced UberAssist, an app option for senior citizens and people with disabilities. According to its website, pricing for UberAssist is the same as Uber, and drivers are trained to accommodate folding wheelchairs, walkers and scooters.
See also:
ABA Journal: “Internet car companies offer convenience, but lawyers see caution signs”
