At Uber, we know our technology is helping increase mobility and independence for millions of people with disabilities around the world through greater access to transportation, earning opportunities, and basic needs like food and groceries.

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.

Self-identification for deaf and hard of hearing couriers

Uber has opened up economic opportunities for thousands of deaf and hard of hearing drivers around the world. Now we’re adding options to help make delivering and communicating with customers easier:

  • Flashing and vibrating delivery requests: When a new delivery request appears, the app alerts couriers with a flashing light or vibration along with an audio notification. 
  • Customer notifications: When a courier accepts a delivery, we’ll let the customer know their courier is deaf or hard of hearing, promoting better communication. 
  • Text-only messaging: Couriers can now set their communication preferences to receive only in-app messages from customers, removing the option for customers to call them.

We’re also making these accessibility features even more customizable for drivers and couriers by allowing them to choose which features are automatically turned on. They can adjust these preferences at any time in their app under App Settings → Accessibility. 

Expansion of Reserve WAV

We’re launching the ability for riders in Austin to schedule their wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) up to 90 days in advance, adding peace of mind before any job interview or doctor’s appointment. Every person driving with Uber WAV has completed a certification course offered by a third party to help riders enter and exit the vehicle. We look forward to expanding Reserve WAV to more cities in the coming months.

Expanding rider trip history

We heard from riders that when a driver canceled a trip before pickup it was difficult to locate it in their trip history. This made it challenging for them to report instances of potential discrimination, such as a service animal denial, to us. We recently updated the rider trip history so they can see all previous trips and canceled requests, including any that were canceled by a driver before the trip began. We hope this will make it easier for riders who may experience a service denial to report these issues to us for investigation. Here is more information on how to submit a service denial report. 

Enhanced Auto Translations for In-App Messaging 

To help make it easier for riders and drivers to communicate with each other, our Auto Translations feature 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. 

Accessibility compatibility  

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, including VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android. 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.