Wheelchair accessibility lawsuit against Lyft begins in White Plains Federal Court

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A landmark class-action lawsuit against ride-sharing company Lyft, alleging discrimination against wheelchair users, begins today in White Plains Federal Court. The lawsuit, filed by a White Plains woman and the nonprofit group Westchester Disabled on the Move, seeks to force Lyft to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) nationwide. The suit argues that Lyft's current system, which only offers WAVs in select cities, including New York City, creates an unnecessary barrier for millions of wheelchair users across the country. "It's frustrating, something so simple for people without disabilities, becomes a problem and a barrier to living independently," said Charles Italiano of Westchester Disabled on the Move. Currently, a person in the Bronx can hail a WAV through the Lyft app, but a person in neighboring Yonkers cannot. The lawsuit aims to force Lyft to remove a blocker on its app that prevents the WAV access mode from being available to riders nationwide. While similar lawsuits against Lyft have failed in the past, company officials maintain they cannot force drivers on their platform to operate WAVs. "We offer access to these types of vehicles in every single market where we are required to do so, and are fully compliant with laws and regulations," a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement to News 12. "