The US Equal Rights Centre, a Washington-based civil rights organisation, has filed a lawsuit with Uber, claiming that the company failed to provide vehicles that are accessible for wheelchair users.
The ride-sharing company is accused of violating Title 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act by excluding wheelchair users in Washington DC from using its service, and also failing to provide accessible vehicles in its UberX scheme.
According to The Verge, the lawsuit states the following:
Were they to be accessible to wheelchair users, Uber’s transportation services could have life-changing effects for wheelchair users, improving their ability to work, study, participate in community life, and generally to live more independently.
The lawsuit is not the first of its kind that that Uber has faced, with the company also having been sued in May by over claims that a wheelchair accessible service was unavailable to individuals in Mississippi.
The ride-sharing company did launch a program for individuals with disabilities in San Diego back in 2014, and existing provisions for Uber drivers and passengers with disabilities can be viewed on Uber"s accessibility page.
Nevertheless, the suit comes at a tumultuous time for the company, whose recently resigned CEO faces a lawsuit from employees in California over pay disputes.
Source: The Verge