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When you’re a billion-dollar startup, there aren’t a lot of excuses you can use when it comes to your service’s amenities being questioned. Uber got to where it is today because of their life-changing services, and of course, loyal customers from varied societal levels. However, Uber India may have to step up their customer service, considering a recent incident that left a differently abled women in tears. India is home to one of the world’s largest differently-abled populations, and even though it is 2017 (the year of awareness!) we seem to be shifting our attention to livestock, over people.
Preeti Singh is a wheelchair-bound woman, who like any other person, simply wished to use an Uber to get her to places faced not one, but two rude Uber drivers in one day, which pushed her to bring attention to the lack of awareness among Uber drivers, towards disabilities. Both made her feel uncomfortable, created issues when she took time to leave the vehicle upon reaching her destination, and complained about her wheelchair dirtying their car. Preeti took to Facebook to talk about the same, stating, “I pay for your services, no ones doing any charity than why is it that I still have to feel this way just because I’m a wheelchair user. Always praying that the driver doesn’t create a fuss about it. Of course I’m going to go with my wheelchair, nobody asks anyone to keep their legs behind when travelling in a cab, why me?”
In a report by Huff Post, she later said that Uber reached out to her (after NDTV contacted them regarding the incident), apologizing and claimed to be working on their app to make it accessible to all users. Her post on Facebook even lists ideas that they could implement, instead of simply saying that they ‘value her feedback’.
Preeti’s main goal was not to draw attention to herself, but rather to the issue at hand. As of now, this incident is definitely not the first that reduced a person to tears and discomfort, and unfortunately, it won’t be the last — until our Government decides to step in and make a change. More than accessibility and proper infrastructure, which is also definitely important, what we need is sensitisation, aware and education, and nothing can change until that is achieved.
Read her complete post below
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