Labor issues from the perspective of drivers on the Uber and Lyft apps and the impact on riders who use wheelchairs

Abstract

Wheelchair accessibility of transportation service hailed using Uber and Lyft is fraught with contention. In this research, I interview 12 drivers on the apps who work in Washington, DC to understand their experience and perception about issues surrounding service to wheelchair users. Some drivers experience transporting wheelchair users as markedly different from service to non-wheelchair users due to the uncompensated labor they perform when assisting wheelchair users and the additional time required. They perceive service decline by drivers to possibly stem from lack of compensation for their time and work. One solution to address the problem could be to use app-technology to keep a record of ride requests by wheelchair users who volunteer to disclose disability status and incentivize drivers for completed rides. The overarching purpose of the study is to create knowledge that can contribute to overcoming potential barriers to full inclusion of disabled riders in the app-hailed transportation.