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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Rideshare Curbside Pickup At<br>The Denver International Airport<br>What Works and What Remains Problematic<br><br>By Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At the 2022 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, representatives from the Denver International Airport informed our membership that people with disabilities, including the blind, would be able to ask Uber and Lyft drivers to pick them up curbside nearer to the terminal instead of having to traverse the crosswalk to Island 5. As positive as this service sounded, it turned out that, practically speaking, few if any of us found curbside rideshare pickup to be a positive experience.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First, requesting curbside pickup through the Uber and Lyft mobile apps proved to be too difficult for average smartphone users--that is, if the user could even find where in these mobile apps to request the service. Either the control requesting the service was not accessible to screen reading software such as VoiceOver or the service could not be found using the usual strategies that screen reader users were familiar with.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Secondly, even if the curbside rideshare pickup could be requested, too many people experienced delays caused by drivers having to circumnavigate the airport because drivers were more likely to be at Island 5 and thus would have to circumnavigate the airport to get closer to the terminal--adding approximately twenty minutes to the amount of time that passengers requesting curbside pickup needed to wait.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There seems not to be much that can be done to address the second issue, but there is much that I hope to share here that can help VoiceOver users to more quickly and efficiently find and activate a request to be picked up curbside nearer to the terminal on level 5. So, if you want to take advantage of rideshare curbside pickup at the airport, read on.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Differences and Similarities Between the Uber and Lyft Mobile Apps<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whether you are using Uber or Lyft to request curbside pickup, you should know the door number where you are standing and whether you are on the east or west side of the terminal. Fortunately, once you know your door number, it is a simple matter to determine whether you are on the west or east side of the terminal. Door numbers on the east side of the terminal end in odd numbers like 505 or 507 while door numbers on the west side end in even numbers like 504 or 512. When requesting curbside pickup, you really need to send a message to your rideshare driver indicating the door number where you are waiting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There are differences between the way Uber has implemented its curbside pickup request option as compared to Lyft. The Lyft mobile app requires passengers to stand within 30 feet of one of the doors to the terminal while the Uber mobile app does not. So, while you can arrange for an Uber curbside pickup (called Accessible Pickup in the Uber mobile app) while inside the terminal, you are not able to request the curbside pickup option (called Accessible Rides) in the Lyft mobile app until you are standing within 30 feet of one of the terminal exit doors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Moreover, even if Uber or Lyft drivers are on the correct lane to come alongside the curb, traffic congestion might not allow them to stop in front of the passenger requesting curbside pickup. In this situation, drivers must circumnavigate the airport again before being able to stop to pick you up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Using VoiceOver to Request Curbside Pickup at the Airport<br><br><o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>I spent a good part of an afternoon at the Denver Airport comparing the behavior of the Uber and Lyft mobile apps to request a curbside pickup. My admittedly limited experience convinces me that curbside pickup is easier to request in the Uber app. So, let me start with that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the Uber mobile app, curbside pickup (called Accessible Pickup in the mobile app) is requested on the Confirm Pickup screen. There is a Confirm Pickup button near the bottom center of the screen. If you touch this button and then flick left with one finger, you will hear VoiceOver say, "Selected Island 5, Zone H Button."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At this point, you should flick right with one finger two times. The first time you flick to the right, you will hear VoiceOver say, "Island 5, Zone I." Flick right with one finger another time to hear VoiceOver say, "Accessible Pickups, Read Directions." Now perform a one-finger double-tap, and this option is selected. At this point, you can flick right to and activate the Confirm Pickup button.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the Lyft mobile app, curbside pickup (called Accessible Rides in the mobile app) is also requested on the screen where you confirm your pickup location. Flick right with one finger repeatedly until VoiceOver is focused on the Confirm Pickup button. Flick left with one finger once. You should hear VoiceOver say, "Island Five Vertical Line Zone C D E picker item." Perform a one-finger double-tap on this picker item and then flick left with one finger to "Standard Rides picker item." Flick upwards with one finger to select "Accessible Rides." Now, flick right with one finger to the Confirm Pickup button and perform a one-finger double-tap to activate it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>The Practicality of Rideshare Curbside Pickup<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In my testing, drivers from both Uber and Lyft were required to circumnavigate the airport at least once before they could pick me up alongside the curb. I regret to say that this happens more often than any of us would like. So, if you want to get out of the airport in a hurry, your best bet continues to be to get yourself out to Island 5 and head for zones C, D, or E if requesting a ride from Lyft or zones F, G, or H if you want Uber to pick you up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>