Driving for Uber created enormous employment opportunities for deaf or hard of hearing citizens across the nation. Recognizing this trend, Uber made strides in making their official Uber app accessible to both deaf and hard of hearing drivers and riders. More than 30,000 drivers have activated the deaf or hard of hearing feature in the Uber app.
A website focusing on accessibility puts Uber on the forefront of companies taking the initiative and leadership in this space. You may have seen their TV commercial, or viewed a story about a father and husband who is able to support his family by driving for Uber.
Currently, the city of New York City is the only one in the New York state where Uber is allowed operation. By law, Uber drivers are not allowed to pick and drop off riders in upstate New York, outside of New York City. Soon New York lawmakers will be deciding if Uber should be allowed to serve the whole state.
If you benefit from Uber, either as a rider or could become a driver, please write to the New York governor. They need to hear from you. If you don’t use Uber, we urge you to write about the job creation opportunity for deaf and hard of hearing citizens of New York.
Please contact us at TDI for help contacting the New York governor’s office. Send an e-mail to Claude Stout, Executive Director, and Tayler Mayer, Director of Public Relations, by filling out this form on this page. Let us know you would like to advocate for expanded employment opportunities in New York.