Written by Candy B Harrington, Barrier-Free Travels, December 6, 2021
Uber has a long history of sidestepping the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); but now it appears the Department of Justice (DOJ) has caught the ride-share giant in their own loophole.
In the past the issue has been that Uber violated the ADA by not providing an adequate number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Uber’s “loophole” defense has always been that they are a merely a technology company and not a transportation provider, therefore they have no control over the vehicles that are available. And it kind of flew. Until now.
On November 10, 2021 the DOJ filed suit against Uber in the US District Court in Northern California for violating the ADA and discriminating against disabled passengers. And this complaint isn’t about the vehicles. It’s about the “technology company” procedures, which the independent contractor drivers have absolutely no control over.
The complaint alleges a pattern of discrimination, and specifically cites the wait time charge that automatically goes into effect two minutes after the driver arrives to pick up a passenger.
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