Earlier this year, after hearing about a classmate's struggle using ridesharing apps while in a wheelchair, I wanted to investigate Uber's accessibility. I conducted a qualitative study of rider-driver interactions, as well as a quantitative analysis. I wrote a Python script to simulate the ride requesting process using the Uber API, analyzed the data using Excel and R, and visualized the results using QGIS and d3.js. (You can find the code here.)
The results indicated that users who requested a wheelchair-accessible vehicle received unequal treatment with respect to ride availability and wait times. The full paper can be found in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Technology Science, along with an analysis of how the Americans with Disabilities Act might apply to ridesharing companies. Beyond the technical and investigative skills I honed while working on this project, I also learned just how gratifying it can be to uncover and share truths in the pursuit of accountability.