Uber launches uberASSIST program as an option for senior citizens and disabled riders in Los Angeles
At Uber, we strive to create … Kerry Flynn / International Business Times : Gett Updates App For Blind Passengers With ‘VoiceOver,’ ‘TalkBack’ Technology Davey Alba / Wired : If Uber Doesn't Want to Accommodate Blind Riders, Gett Will Trevor Mogg / Digital Trends : Uber's special-assistance service for disabled and senior riders expands to LA Adario Strange / Mashable : Uber expands service for seniors and people with disabilities
Context & Ripple Effects
uberASSIST is Uber's answer to an accessibility gap its rivals have been circling: [[a:863305|Lyft had already partnered with National MedTrans Network on a Concierge web app for seniors without smartphones]] months earlier, while Gett rolled out VoiceOver and TalkBack support to court blind passengers directly. The LA rollout turns what was a compliance headache into a product tier.
It also lands against the backdrop of the regulatory pressure Uber and Lyft face over wheelchair access and driver vetting as they expand across US cities — making a trained-assistance option both a defensive move and a way to claim the senior-and-disability segment before regulators or competitors define it for them.
First-order effects
- Los Angeles seniors and disabled riders gain an opt-in service tier with drivers who commit to extra assistance, giving Uber a differentiated listing in one of its biggest US markets.
- Gett and Lyft lose the novelty of being the accessibility-friendly alternative; their app-level accommodations now compete against a branded, driver-facing Uber program.
Second-order effects
- Lyft's response likely runs through partners rather than drivers — extending the MedTrans/Concierge model toward assisted-ride booking — while Gett doubles down on software accommodations like screen-reader support.
- Paratransit operators such as MV Transportation become acquisition-or-partnership targets for platforms needing certified wheelchair-accessible capacity at scale.
Third-order effects
- Accessibility shifts from press-release gesture to permanent product surface: Uber's later paratransit partnership with MV Transportation and its dedicated simplified UI for older adults show a decade-long buildout that began with programs like uberASSIST.
- If cities condition ride-hailing permits on demonstrated accommodation — as the 2016 regulatory friction and later blind-rider protests suggest — accessibility tiers stop being optional features and become table stakes for operating licenses.
The trend: Ride-hailing platforms are converting disability access from a legal liability into a segmented product line, layering trained drivers, partner fleets, and adapted interfaces onto the core app.