Thank you Lora Korpar and the team at LinkedIn for the opportunity to be a voice on this important topic!
Rideshare Woes Continue For Disabled Passangers
“Lyft is not a government institution. It is a private company that has no obligation to provide WAVs on its platform,” Lyft officials wrote in a private federal court filing obtained by NBC News."
- Char Adams, NBC News
As a wheelchair user rideshare remains largely inaccessible due to a lack of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) offerings. In my near decade of using Uber and Lyft, (and across thousands of rides) I recall a single instance of successfully hailing a WAV following an hour long wait. Since being matched with Canine Companions® Pico in 2014, my access challenges have expanded to include service dog discrimination. While I know there are dedicated employees and insiders at Lyft and Uber working toward change, (h/t Nicholas Mendelke!) they are the exception. The overall track record of both platforms providing transportation to disabled passengers is horrendous.
Advocates understand these companies framing themselves as tech firms is a disingenuous attempt to skirt federal law. Consequently, recent landmark lawsuits brought by U.S. Department of Justice around equal access are notable. Earlier this year Uber settled a lawsuit regarding wait times, while in 2020 Lyft settled a lawsuit agreeing to provide rides to passengers with foldable wheelchairs. For most cities, wheelchair users are rerouted out of the app in favor of third-party transportation ACCESS providers, thus negating the entire on-demand premise these platforms were founded upon.
Even knowing WAVs are not something I can rely on, I’ve continued using these platforms out of necessity. I'm thankful my mobility allows me to opt to do so without my wheelchair but that’s not the case for everyone, and access issues persist for those with disabilities.
Since beginning to publicly document my experiences in 2018, I've made national headlines on Fox News TV, NowThis and written extensively on the topic. Sadly, systemic failures remain. Despite having policies that publicly align with the ADA, both platforms routinely refuse passengers with service animals. So much so I’ve built in “rejection time” to account for the increased attempts required to secure a ride. However, the discrimination goes much deeper. Drivers often make disparaging remarks toward us once the ride initiates making for an awkward journey or submit an amended final bill for Pico's incidental shedding in violation of the ADA. Some drivers falsely claim Pico has left urine, feces, or vomit in their vehicle to justify an exorbitant cleaning fee. Most recently, a driver tipped themselves upward of 25% without consent in retaliation. All of these instances take time and energy to correct through layers of bureaucracy often stretching days.
We have a long way to go before equity is achieved. Let’s work together to hold companies accountable.
#disability #ridesharing #uber #lyft #discrimination #accessibility
Celebrating The ADA at 32
Yesterday, with the help of StoryCorps, I had the privilege of a lifetime sitting down with my friend, Business RadioX® “Fearless Formula” podcast host, and Professional Voice-over Artist Sharon Cline. We discussed the challenges and triumphs of disability advocacy, the role of allyship, and the importance of the ADA on its 32nd birthday.
Disabled workers are struggling to get jobs, even in a labor shortage
In April, 8.3% of disabled Americans were unemployed, compared with 3.1% of those without a disability. If disabled workers were employed at the same rate as those without a disability, nearly 14 million more would have been working in 2021, according to the analysis in the report from Center for American Progress
Emily Peck, Axios
The disabled community historically struggles to find employment and that gap has only widened. We often face discrimination both subtle and blatant throughout our job search. From job postings that list unnecessary "requirements" to purposefully screen out disabled candidates, to lack of accommodations, or invasive questions during the application process; many disabled job seekers often battle the choice whether to disclose their disability at all. While the choice surrounding disclosure is a deeply personal one, there are inherent risks regardless of the decision. Disclose too early and we risk being tossed from the applicant pool altogether. Disclose too late and we may end up working for a company unwilling to accommodate us, making that new job we took a nightmare from which extricating ourselves is yet another obstacle. It’s a Catch-22 all too common amongst disabled applicants.
During a hearing Tuesday for the House Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, Vilissa K. Thompson, LMSW, co-director of the The Century Foundation's Disability Economic Justice Collaborative told the Committee many employers are failing to accommodate employees now living with long COVID, a sentiment echoed by Thomas E. Foley, executive director of the National Disability Institute.
Another obstacle for disabled job seekers is the unfair choice between receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from Social Security Administration and Medicaid from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services —programs designed and targeted toward disabled people—and gainful employment. Both programs, while providing a social safety net, have strict means-tested guidelines effectively capping the earning potential and/or total assets disabled workers can have.
All of these difficulties in finding work helps explain in part why laws in 36 states still legally allow for employers to pay disabled people sub minimum wage as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Yesterday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed S. 533, phasing out the practice, making it just the 14th state in the nation to do so.
The disabled community faces unique challenges in our ongoing search for employment. Whether it’s indirect discrimination, lack of accommodations, risking social safety nets or the fight for equal wages, there remains a lot of work to be done until equity is achieved.
Disabled workers are struggling to get jobs, even in a labor shortage
Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote
“People with disabilities have been left out of civic life for so long,” Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability says, “If we don’t see them in our schools, in our communities, in our workplaces, it only reinforces a lack of understanding and the implicit bias that leads to microaggressions.”
Alex Janin, The Wall Street Journal
As companies encourage a return to the office, it is important to remember that people with disabilities are at risk for being left out of the conversation. Many are still unable to safely engage in an office environment for medical reasons. The pandemic helped normalize work from home protocols and accommodations which were previously a struggle. Now, with those same accommodations seemingly rolling backward in favor of a return to “normalcy” many are having to choose between their health and safety and workplace visibility, effectively risking becoming second-class citizens in their own jobs.
There have been numerous times in my own career where an office environment was not always the most welcoming. I’ve often dealt with disparaging comments, micro-aggressions, and the all too often unsolicited advice/commentary that accompanies being disabled. Non-disabled colleagues often feel they have a right to not only to our medical history but to freely dispense advice about how to handle it. It is not only demeaning, but presumptuous, and extremely harmful. As a near daily occurrence, this can be exhausting. Most non-disabled folks wouldn’t think twice about preserving the privacy around most other discussions concerning health, yet disability seems to be its own designated category, unworthy of such discretion and privacy.
An office environment certainly does have its place and benefits when it comes to fostering collaboration. I am all for those things and support them when they can be done safely for all. But we are not there yet. We have also demonstrated over the course of the pandemic that many disabled employees benefit from accommodations and that no workplace hardship is created in doing so.
We should not be penalizing anybody (directly or otherwise) who chooses to work from home for the safety of their own mental and physical health.
Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote