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1 1 (April 10, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/goveuge0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional ______ SResearch Service Applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to Ridesharing Companies April 10, 2026 Emerging technology often creates new issues in antidiscrimination law. Technologies like rideshare apps have opened up convenient transportation opportunities for many people with and without disabilities; however, some people with disabilities have alleged that these new services are leaving them behind. In September 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), alleging that the company discriminated against passengers with disabilities. The DOJ is bringing claims under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits disability discrimination by certain transportation operators and requires them to make reasonable accommodations for passengers with disabilities. On March 5, 2026, the district court denied Uber's motion to dismiss. The DOJ's suit is the latest foray in ADA litigation against the ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft, Inc. (Lyft). Passengers with disabilities have also attempted to enforce the ADA against these companies with mixed success. Blind passengers have achieved victories in the early stages of litigation and at one point entered into a nationwide settlement with Uber to secure their right to travel with service animals. Passengers who use wheelchairs, on the other hand, have settled some cases but struggled to convince courts that ridesharing companies must make changes to better serve their needs. This Legal Sidebar reviews the portions of the ADA that may govern ridesharing companies and the application of that law in recent litigation. The Sidebar then turns to DOJ enforcement actions-including the pending lawsuit against Uber. Does the ADA Cover Ridesharing Companies? Congress enacted the ADA to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. To that end, the primary titles of the ADA address disability discrimination in three broad contexts: employment (Title I), state and local government (Title II), and public accommodations and commercial facilities (Title III). Title III contains two provisions that may apply to ridesharing companies. First, the law prohibits disability discrimination in specified public transportation services provided by a private entity that is primarily engaged in the business of transporting people and whose operations affect commerce. In turn, the law defines specified public transportation as transportation by any vehicle other than aircraft that provides the general public with general or special service (including charter service) on a regular and continuing basis. Regulations from Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov LSB11417 CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress