We previously posted about how accessible mobile apps can greatly benefit blind people and how the ridesharing revolution is no exception. Earlier this year, in May 2016, the popular ridesharing services, Uber and Lyft, stopped serving Austin after the city passed an ordinance requiring fingerprint background checks by way of a contentious ballot initiative. Many […]
Our suit against Uber was filed in federal court after the parties were unable to satisfactorily resolve concerns about how Uber handled drivers who refused to transport passengers with service animals. Now, after a mediation, discovery practice and extensive negotiations, the parties were able to reach an agreement with Uber.
Advocates for people with disabilities have entered into structured negotiations with Lyft, Inc. to ensure that disabled riders with service animals are ensured access to transportation services offered by Lyft drivers. These collaborative efforts are under way between Lyft, Inc. (Lyft), Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld (RBGG), and TRE Legal – […]
Ridesharing platforms such as Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar have the capacity to greatly improve transportation services for blind passengers. Now, blind people can use a smart phone equipped with text-to-speech to independently summon a driver, learn details such as the name of their dispatched driver, the estimated time of arrival, the amount of their […]
A settlement has been proposed in a class action that blind individuals filed against Redbox and its partner retail stores. The suit alleges that the inaccessible touchscreen interfaces used on the popular Redbox movie rental kiosks exclude blind customers. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Redbox will make its kiosks independently accessible […]
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is an often overlooked and underutilized law. Basically, the law requires that the agencies of the federal executive branch ensure that tax dollars are only spent on electronic information technology (“EIT”) that can be used by disabled people. Accessible EIT, such as software and websites, can open up […]
Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) and Timothy Elder of TRE Legal Practice are investigating complaints from persons with disabilities who have been denied transportation services by taxi drivers for Uber Technologies, Inc. (“Uber”) in the San Francisco Bay Area or other major urban centers. Uber is a company based in San Francisco, California that […]
TRE Legal and the Clark Hunt firm are collaborating with Sidecar and the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts (NFBMA) to ensure blind people can enjoy the ridesharing transportation movement. Ridesharing companies, such as Sidecar, enable passengers to connect with drivers for hire, all from the convenience of an Apple iPhone, iPad, or Android […]
A press release was recently distributed announcing a collaboration between Square, Inc., and the National Federation of the Blind’s Massachusetts affiliate to enhance the accessibility of Square’s apps for blind users. The TRE Legal Practice is pleased to have worked with Square and NFBMA to facilitate this collaboration by way of the following Accessibility Initiative […]
Blind people have longstanding legal rights to access government programs, education, employment, public accommodations and other aspects of social life. The enforcement of these rights in an increasingly technology-dependent world requires that doctors, advocates, educators, administrators and disabled persons learn how the ADA applies in the wake of the Internet and accessible information technology. Timothy […]