Uber Isn't A Public Transportation Service?

First it was NYC with too few accessible taxis, then the mayor claiming that the taxis were a hazard, and now this...

Uber, Lyft, and other similar ride-sharing organizations, are claiming that disability laws do not apply to them.

Uber: Disability Laws Don’t Apply to Us

Say what? What are these guys smoking? Can I have some?

Uber IS a transportation service, not a "technology" company, because it's similar to a car service and taxis. All of them use a vehicle to take a passenger to a requested destination. Denying those with disabilities, or separating them from the non-disabled crowd, is still discrimination. Maybe they'd be a "technology" company if they used a teleporter, but no such luck.

No matter what, Uber's UberWAV and UberASSIST programs should be like how other taxi companies are set up, with the vehicles being used for disabled and not, and treated the same way without being charged too much more.

Want to know something else? Uber's also flooding the job boards with listings that say something like these:

"[job title] - Need to Earn More Money? Join UberX as a Driving Partner Today!"
"Having Trouble Getting A [job name/title/type] Job? Have A Flexible Schedule As An UberX Driving Partner Instead!"
"Entry Level Job Not Paying The Bills? Join UberX & Have a Flexible Schedule Driving Your Own Car."
"Make up to $xxx this Weekend in fares Driving Your Car. Join Uber Now!"

Personally, I'd avoid them til they clean up their act.

Relay SWAT calls

Having read the Watch Out for That SWAT! blog post and a followup article in the Washington Post recently, it's a frightening thing when your home is invaded by a SWAT team. Apparently they're there for no reason other than the fact that someone tried to "prank" the police into thinking you're a dangerous person.

I use a cane or wheelchair when I'm out and about due to my knee surgery, and usually don't use the cane at home. Could this easily cause me to get shot with them thinking I was holding a weapon? Probably the best thing for me to do if this kind of thing happens would be for me to immediately stop where I am, drop the cane, and raise my hands. Or will they shoot anyway and ask questions later in their adrenaline-soaked mad dash through the door?

What's the best way to handle something like this?

We're not too disabled to work?

Back in July, I posted about this same issue, "ADA Updates? Should I Hold my Breath?" I had to deal with college classes before coming back to this, so I'm behind a bit. Reunify Gally posted this earlier;

Qualifed to Work = Disqualification from ADA Protection

Today, I'm wondering what's going on with the ADA updates. Are they stuck in a rut, going into continuous arguments and putting it off as they're known to do with certain bills? Back in the 90s, many people were at least hoping to find a good job, but it seems there wasn't much happening back then and still even less today. Again, there's the quibbling over the definition of the words 'disabled' and 'functional.' Despite some aids like drugs and assistive devices, we're denied ADA coverage.

Say what? Illogical.

You basically still have the same disability even without the drugs and devices. If you have a cochlear implant, and remove your processor, you're still deaf. Same when you remove your hearing aids. If you have a walking disability, and use a cane or wheelchair to help get around, you still have it even without them. Same with the drugs. They all do the same thing, of helping you get around without being too limited and dependent. They help you be independent to an extent.

So why aren't employers giving us a fair shake? Check the second paragraph. Are you seeing certain words pop out, namely, assuming and stereotyping? Now with the Internet and online applications, it's possibly made much worse and harder due to computer screenings and those who have to look through many resumes.

So what's the way to deal with it? More loophole-ridden laws without teeth? More of the different ways that the courts interpret things? More Deaf Awareness Days? More educational programs? Will employers/hiring authorities just bypass or ignore them? Would it be possible to mix a disabilities job fair into a regular job fair and hope for the best? There's still those who just flat out refuse to use anything, other than use voice to voice with applicants. There's still even those who when they find that they've called a relay number, refuse to even use it, much less accept the call. They're attempting to put, as Pink Floyd says, another brick in the wall, while we try to remove them as fast as they're placed.