In the fight against Uber expansion, taxi drivers have found allies in disability advocates across New York.
Stephanie Woodward is the Director of Advocacy for the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester.
"We want the same taxi options as everyone else but we don't have that."
Woodward says the CDR is against bringing Uber to Rochester, because the company doesn't require their drivers' cars to be universally accessible. She says Rochester already has a lack of transportation options for individuals with disabilities.
"If this doesn't benefit everyone in the community then what you're really doing is just segregating in our community."
She says Uber shouldn't be allowed to expand into Rochester without specific provision around universal accessibility.
Mayor Lovely Warren has publicly expressed her support for the company, and is part of New York Needs Uber, a coalition of mayors from Rochester, Buffalo, Binghamton, Syracuse and Albany.
A spokesperson from the City of Rochester say Mayor Warren supports more transportation options, and that she would support provisions that expand Uber's accessibility.
Disability advocates and taxi drivers traveled to Albany to call on lawmakers and upstate mayors to reconsider their positions on Uber expansion with the company's accessibility issues in mind.
A spokesperson from Uber says the company "is committed to making the Uber app accessible for anyone wanting a safe, reliable and convenient way to get around."
