Uber improves its existing for seniors and persons with disabilities in the community.
The service is called UberASSIST, which allows users to choose a specific driver who's professionally trained to handle senior passengers and people with disabilities, armed with special equipment such as scooters, walkers, wheelchairs and others.
Part of the expanded Uber services for seniors and "disabilities community" is a training for its drivers to be provided by "Open Doors Organization," a Chicago-based non-profit organization created to enable persons with disabilities to have the same consumer opportunities as non-disabled persons.
"We've been doing preliminary driver training for wheelchair-accessible taxis for the last two and a half years," an Open Doors Organization spokesperson told Mashable.
The spokesperson added that aside from driving trainings, a general sensitivity training to their passengers is also provided. Instructions are also provided on the use of passengers' assistive devices inside the vehicle.
UberASSIST was first launced in San Diego, Houston and Chicago. Now, Uber services for seniors and persons with disabilities is now made available in San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is also available in Portland, Oregon, Australia and Honolulu.
"We're always working to make the Uber experience as seamless as possible for our riders and driver-partners," an Uber spokesperson said. "The launch of uberASSIST in San Francisco and Los Angeles is one more step we are taking to expand on that commitment."
To avail of it, go to the Promotions section of the Uber app and enter the "assist" promotion code. The app then gives users options that they can choose from.
UberASSIST is the company's response to the criticisms it received in 2014, when Uber was sued after their drivers allegedly refused to pick up blind passengers with service dogs and a passengers that needed a wheelchair-assistive vehicle.
No word yet whether UberASSIST will be expanded to other cities in the US.
