Washington, D.C. – Policy leaders with the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Able Americans program and Free Enterprise Project (FEP) have delivered a letter to the board of Uber Technologies, Inc. seeking answers related to the recent lawsuit filed against Uber by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the company’s treatment of individuals with disabilities.
“Disability access goes directly to Uber’s compliance with federal law, the trust of its customers, and its ability to safeguard shareholder value against reputational damage and costly litigation,” the letter says. “While Uber has stated that it maintains a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ and has invested in training and reporting channels, the ongoing lawsuits strongly suggest that implementation and accountability remain insufficient.”
The DOJ’s most recent Uber lawsuit alleges that Uber drivers “insult and demean people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions;” deny “people with disabilities full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways;” “routinely refuse services to disabled passengers, including those with service animals;” impose impermissible surcharges by charging cleaning fees related to service animals and charge cancellation fees to riders after unlawfully denying service.
Rachel Barkley
Uber Technologies insists that it provides disability training to drivers and that the DOJ allegations are unsubstantiated.
In their letter to Uber, four National Center representatives questioned the efficacy of that disability training and called for greater transparency related to Uber’s training policies, practices and evidence of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They also requested information related to disciplinary actions against drivers who do not comply with Uber’s stated disability policies.
“Uber’s apparent pattern of discrimination against people with disabilities is unacceptable and unlawful. No one should face barriers simply because they use a wheelchair or live with a disability,” said Rachel Barkley, director of the National Center’s Able Americans project dedicated to advancing innovative, free-market solutions that empower Americans with disabilities. “Equal access to transportation is not a privilege — it is a civil right. The DOJ lawsuit underscores the urgent need for accountability, and for companies like Uber to ensure that people with disabilities are treated with dignity, fairness and the same opportunities as everyone else.”
Stefan Padfield
“In addition to the obvious humanitarian and civil rights concerns raised by these complaints about Uber drivers leaving riders with disabilities stranded, Uber shareholders also have reason to be concerned about the bottom-line implications of these allegations and deserve to know what Uber is doing to address the underlying issues,” said Stefan Padfield, executive director of the National Center’s Free Enterprise Project, a leading shareholder activism group.
The complete letter can be downloaded here.
About
Able Americans is a nonprofit, nonpartisan project of the National Center for Public Policy Research dedicated to advancing innovative, free-market solutions that empower Americans with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. It advocates for policies that remove barriers, expand individual freedom and choice, and deliver better outcomes for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Its mission is rooted in the belief that opportunity and human dignity are part of the American promise for all people, regardless of ability.
The Free Enterprise Project, the original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of American corporate life, aims to push corporations to respect their fiduciary obligations and to stay out of political and social engineering.
The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a nonpartisan, free-market, independent conservative think tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 60,000 active recent contributors. Contributions are tax-deductible and may be earmarked for Able Americans and/or the Free Enterprise Project.
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