Use of app-based ridehailing services and conventional taxicabs by adults with disabilities

Abstract App-based ridehailing services such as Uber and Lyft are growing rapidly and serving more trips in large U.S. cities than conventional taxicabs, on which people with disabilities have historically depended. Analyzing the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, we found that adults with disabilities use app-based ridehailing at a much lower rate than adults without disabilities. This is partly because people with disabilities are older, have lower incomes, and live less in larger cities. But even when controlling for these factors, having a disability predicts lower use of app-based ridehailing, which suggests that these new services may not be sufficiently accessible to people with disabilities.