[Ct-nfb] Commitment Is More Than Checking a Box: Uber Fails to Get It

[Jim McCollum]

Hello, all. 
As this blog post explains, there is an issue between us and Uber. I'm curious to know if anyone has had a problem with Uber recently? I'm a big fan of Uber, and I haven't had any trouble, but I don't think I've used Uber since the most recent update to the app. I've heard some complaints about the accessibility of Uber Eats, but I haven't tried it yet myself. 

https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/commitment-more-checking-box-uber-fails-get-it

Commitment Is More Than Checking a Box: Uber Fails to Get It | National Federation of the Blind
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The National Federation of the Blind is the leader in nonvisual accessibility. We work diligently to assist those in government, education, and the private sector to gain a true understanding that accessibility is not an expensive burden that stifles innovation. Accessibility is an enhancement that makes products and services available and usable by people with disabilities, while simultaneously making the same products and services better and easier to use by everyone. The ever-growing integration of devices that talk and devices you can operate with your voice are examples of the innovation that emerges while striving for accessibility. We realize that in order to be successful, it is essential to consider accessibility throughout the lifecycle from concept, to design, to development, to implementation. Consumer involvement in this process at every stage is essential. We partner with many entities that choose to benefit from our expertise, and we assist them to identify experienced blind people to help develop and test for accessibility, which has sometimes resulted in employment. Hiring qualified, skilled blind individuals is an acquisition of expertise, an infusion of inclusion in the workplace, and a perpetual reminder of the importance of accessibility to all staff.

Contrary to the enlightened effective strategy outlined above, Uber chooses to develop their technology in a vacuum with only engineers. They attempt to add accessibility once the product is ready to launch. They solicit consumer involvement a few days before launch, and then attempt to address the lack of accessibility by prioritizing the comments from the most frustrated users. To pile on to this list of errors, they recently chose to publicly infer that this practice is endorsed by the National Federation of the Blind.

Recently, the following misleading assertion was posted on the AppleVis forum from one of the iOS engineers that built the new Uber app. “Making sure that the app was working for VoiceOver users was a key priority for us during the development, and this included getting feedback from our accessibility advisor. As part of our launch, we also collected feedback on our new design from the National Federation of the Blind…” (http://www.applevis.com/forum/ios-ios-app-discussion/has-anybody-tried-latest-release-uber-app). This statement was disrespectful, irresponsible, and manipulative. It is also the Case Study on How Not to Make Your Products Accessible. 

The following is a description of how Uber collected feedback from the National Federation of the Blind, and the feedback we provided. We received an email from an Uber representative on October 26 stating, “I'm reaching out because our engineering team is working on some really cool things with the Uber rider app that we'd love to demo with you in person in advance of their being rolled out to the public…Some users will start to see the changes as early as next week, so we'd love to come up and walk you through them beforehand. Are you by any chance free for a demo this Monday the 31st, and if not Monday, then Tuesday?” This was our first time hearing of the new design, and we had no previous input on the development or design of this soon to be released app. Although we are continuing to attempt to resolve the issue of discrimination against blind Uber passengers that use guide dogs, we accepted the October 31 meeting on behalf of the blind individuals that have come to rely on this ridesharing service as an affordable dependable means of transportation. (It is important to note that we have had several meetings with Uber representatives over the years to discuss various issues, but cannot seem to get Uber to recognize their fundamentally flawed approach toward ensuring accessibility.) 

This most recent meeting consisted of a 45 minute conversation with two Uber representatives where we were informed of the pending launch of the new interface. We explored the basic new app design on the representative’s iPhone. During this short period of time we identified several problems with accessibility of the app, including unlabeled buttons and lack of conformance to fundamental VoiceOver gestures. 

We expressed our on-going concern about their launching the app without really testing for accessibility. We further explained that they should be prepared for candid expressions of frustration from our members and others. Still attempting to be helpful, we informed them that they could monitor user experiences by subscribing to the AppleVis and Inclusive Android blog sites. We offered to push a notice out to our membership if they provided us with an ability to give feedback that would be addressed. The app went live on November 2. Unfortunately, we did not receive the information on the feedback loop until November 4, and by then individuals were already actively voicing their frustration. 

The National Federation of the Blind has internationally recognized expertise in accessibility. We have formed many mutually beneficial relationships with entities that recognize and value us as real partners. We are offended that Uber feels they can haphazardly lend our name to their failed process, and request a formal apology for the statement. If Uber desires true partnership, we would need more active engagement than a quick meeting to discuss the roll out of an app that has already been developed. If Uber sincerely wishes to strive to meet the needs of each and every customer, they must break this cycle of inaccessibility.



Jim McCollum
Legislative Co-ordinator
National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut
j.mccollum64 at comcast.net
860-581-0430
Sent from my iPhone
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/attachments/20161109/8b2ed1bf/attachment.html>