Disabled Americans rely on rideshare apps but say they still face discrimination

Disabled people who use rideshare apps Lyft and Uber say their experience is not a seamless task of pressing a few buttons and being whisked to their destination minutes later.

Instead, people who use wheelchairs and guide dogs have watched drivers cancel rides, charge cleaning fees for guide dogs or outright refuse to take them where they need to go.

The rideshare companies plan to push app updates soon to address cancellations and misunderstandings, but advocates and disabled users say they want to see drivers be better educated about how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and want the companies to put in stricter discrimination policies. The new app features are just “window dressing,” said Lynn Dubinsky.

“This option puts the burden back on the client rather than on the companies themselves to directly address (discrimination) with their drivers,” said Dubinsky, who works for a guide-dog training school in San Rafael, California.