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Uber hit with lawsuit for not providing wheelchair-accessible cars

Uber hit with lawsuit for not providing wheelchair-accessible cars

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One more event on Uber’s sad timeline 

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Mark Warner
An UBER application is shown as cars drive by in Washington, DC.

Mark Warner
An UBER application is shown as cars drive by in Washington, DC.
(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

The Equal Rights Center has filed a lawsuit against Uber today, adding another legal battle for the company to juggle among rape lawsuits and class action lawsuits. This time Uber is accused of denying equal access to people who use wheelchairs and violating Title 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The lawsuit alleges that Uber has excluded people who use wheelchairs in Washington, DC, where the Equal Rights Center is located. It also says that Uber isn’t offering wheelchair-accessible cars in its UberX line. According to the suit, Uber had the choice of including wheelchair access in its fleet of cars but chose not to, an issue that was highlighted by The Verge last year.

“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 claims.

"We take this issue seriously and are committed to continued work with the District, our partners, and stakeholders toward expanding transportation options and freedom of movement for all residents throughout the region,” an Uber spokesperson wrote to The Verge.

The timing of this lawsuit could not come at a worse time for Uber: the company has been under fire for pocketing an unfair share of its drivers’ wages, and for cases of rape and sexual assault. Even after CEO Travis Kalanick stepped down from the company last week, drivers and their lawyers, at least in California, are still intent on holding him accountable in the lawsuits they have in motion.

Update June 28th, 4:21PM ET: This article was updated with a statement from Uber.