"Lyft, Uber face class-action lawsuits for disability discrimination", 1 Apr 2019

Disability Rights Advocates, or DRA, filed a class-action lawsuit against Lyft on March 20, alleging that the popular ride-sharing service violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, by not providing a wheelchair accessible vehicle, or WAV, service for Bay Area residents...

According to DRA attorney Melissa Riess, the situation is compounded by the fact that Lyft has also driven competing taxi companies that once provided WAVs out of the market.

“Their service is basically unusable for people who use wheelchairs and need wheelchair accessible vehicles,” said Riess. “It could be a really important option for people to get around, especially in the Bay Area, which is so car-centric. On behalf of this community, we’ve brought this lawsuit to compel Lyft to fulfill their legal obligations.”...

In addition to their current suit against Lyft, DRA filed a similar class action against Uber in October 2018.

Dorene Giacopini, president of the board of directors for Community Resources for Independent Living, which is a plaintiff in the class action, said that transportation services for people with disabilities are going “backwards” in the modern ride-sharing era. Giacopini alleged that the very existence of companies such as Lyft and Uber is causing the “disappearance” of taxis, including WAVs...