What Uber’s Lawsuit Teaches Every Brand About Accessibility Accountability
Rideshare apps like Uber gave people with disabilities more freedom at first. They could get rides more easily on their own. But these services have had many accessibility problems. This has led to lawsuits. The problems show that companies need to make accessibility a priority from the start, not fix issues after complaints. To truly include everyone, companies need to: ask people with disabilities for input, include them in planning and testing and build accessibility into products from the beginning, not add it later.
Author: Alisa Smith, Accessibility Evangelist
Published: 11/07/2025
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A white car is in the middle front. Behind it is a cell phone displaying a purple rideshare route on a gray map. The route leads to a large green judge's gavel behind the car. There is a green accessibility icon in front of the phone and car.
Rideshare was supposed to be revolutionary for people with disabilities. And in many ways, it was. What paratransit couldn’t provide and what taxis often refused to offer, Uber and Lyft made possible with a few taps on a screen. Independence. Spontaneity. The freedom to go where you want, when you want.
But innovation without inclusion always comes at a cost. In September 2025, the Department of Justice filed a $125 million lawsuit against Uber(opens in a new tab), the company’s second accessibility-related suit in just four years. The allegations include refusing rides to people with service animals, charging illegal fees, and releasing app updates that repeatedly broke accessibility for blind users.
This isn’t only about Uber. It serves as a warning to every business building technology or digital experiences without accessibility at its foundation.
Accessibility is not what happens after innovation. It is what makes innovation work for everyone.
The Pattern Behind the Problem
Uber’s story follows a pattern many companies repeat. Accessibility first became a legal issue in 2021, after the DOJ sued Uber(opens in a new tab) for penalizing riders who needed extra boarding time. The company paid nearly $2 million and promised to improve. By 2025, the same complaints resurfaced.
Even Uber’s app has become a symbol of inconsistency. One update might work perfectly with screen readers. The next leaves blind users locked out. Accessibility specialists call it the “yo-yo effect” — fix, break, fix again.
The problem is not intent. It is process. When accessibility depends on goodwill instead of governance, progress collapses under its own inconsistency.
The Bigger Lesson: Accessibility Can’t Be Reactive
Many companies care deeply about accessibility and inclusion, but few act until something goes wrong. A complaint, a viral post, or a legal threat sparks change. Then priorities shift, and accessibility fades into the background again.
Reactive accessibility is expensive and unsustainable. Hotlines and patch fixes are not solutions; they are signals that accessibility is an afterthought. Asking users to “turn on” accessibility settings puts the responsibility on them instead of the business that built the barrier.
True inclusion happens when accessibility is part of every decision, from design to development to QA. It is not a special project or a checkbox. It's how to create great products.
And remember, if accessibility efforts only show up after the problem, you have already failed your users.
What Every Business Can Learn
Uber’s missteps highlight what every organization can do right now:
Test before release, not after complaints.
Accessibility must be part of every launch checklist. Include real users with disabilities in your QA process. If an update breaks accessibility, it does not go live.Build accountability into your culture.
Training and awareness are not optional. Everyone who touches the customer experience should know how their choices affect accessibility. Accountability should start with leadership and extend through every partner.Make accessibility a growth strategy, not a compliance task.
Companies that design for accessibility from the start have higher customer satisfaction, stronger brand trust, and fewer legal risks. Accessibility fosters loyalty by creating a sense of belonging and community.
Accessibility is not only about compliance. Accessibility drives connection, and connection drives outcomes.
The Real Cost of Inaccessibility
The $125 million lawsuit is just one of the costs. Another is trust. When accessibility breaks, so does independence. A blind rider who cannot request a ride because an app update failed loses more than convenience. They lose autonomy.
Accessibility failures don’t just expose legal risk. They tell customers with disabilities that they were never part of the plan. Once that trust is broken, it is almost impossible to rebuild.
In Uber's case, the cost of inaccessibility is not measured in millions of dollars. It is measured in dignity.
The Road Forward
Uber’s story is not just about mistakes. It is a mirror for every brand moving fast and hoping accessibility will catch up later.
The path forward is simple but powerful.
Treat accessibility as an operational standard. Involve people with disabilities early and often in your product development process. Partner with accessibility experts who can help you identify and fix issues before they reach your customers.
The companies that build accessibility into every release will do more than avoid lawsuits; they will also gain financial benefits and a competitive advantage. They will future-proof their products, expand their markets, and lead with integrity.
Accessibility is not the law’s demand. It is the customer’s expectation. And the brands that meet it will define what innovation means in the next decade.
Innovation that excludes is not innovation at all.
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