Taxi and PHV drivers know their responsibilities when it comes to carrying passengers with disabilities, such as those who use wheelchairs or are travelling with assistance animals.
The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 makes it clear that “any disabled person has specific rights and protections to be carried and receive assistance without being charged extra”. Those who flout the law face tough penalties and could lose their taxi badge.
Accessibility
Taxi booking apps such as Uber have transformed the industry, but those with hidden disabilities – such as impaired sight or hearing – can be at a disadvantage as advances in technology improve the booking process.
Last month’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day aimed to continue to spread awareness about such disabilities and to get people “talking, thinking and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities”.
The campaign found that most website home pages failed accessibility tests for a variety of reasons, including low-contrast text (86.3%), missing image alt text (66%), empty links (59.9%) and missing form input labels (53.8%).
Alternative text descriptions for images are vital for those with visual disabilities and who rely on keyboard and not a mouse to access websites.
Video captions are also essential for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people with motor impairments may need alternative keyboards, eye control or other adaptive hardware to help them.
Updates
The awareness day saw Uber add new features and improvements to its ride-hailing app to continue to increase accessibility for customers, as well as staff.
Uber said: “Our goal is to build a platform that’s accessible to users of all abilities and to drive inclusion in our communities even further. This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re adding new features and improvements in the app to continue our important progress on accessibility.”
To help drivers and couriers, new features include flashing and vibrating delivery requests, notifications to the customer to let them know their courier is deaf or hard of hearing, and the option for text-only messaging.
For passengers, it also launched a pilot in Austin, Texas, which allows them to book a wheelchair-accessible vehicle up to 90 days in advance and hopes to expand the scheme in future.
In instances when a passenger with a disability believes a driver has discriminated against them, Uber has updated the history feature to make all previous trips and cancellations available so that it is easier to investigate and take any necessary action.
Barriers
Another update which will help make the app more accessible to everyone, not just those with disabilities, is the Auto Translations feature which Uber says will “automatically translate any in-app messages sent between users. Riders, customers, and drivers around the world will automatically receive messages in their preferred language, across 50+ supported languages.”
Uber said: “Ensuring our platform is accessible to everyone is an ongoing commitment. We’ve collaborated closely with our design and platform teams to make our apps compatible with major assistive technologies. Users can provide feedback about their experience using these features on the Uber app.
“Our commitment to accessibility goes beyond just one day. It’s a priority all year long. Together, we can create a more inclusive world for everyone.”
Taxis and PHVs are often a lifeline for people with disabilities and as firms continue to use advances in technology to improve the experience for customers, it is vital that accessibility isn’t overlooked.
As well as improving the process for customers, it can also open doors for people with disabilities to earn a living in an industry where they might previously have felt excluded.
