Maria Kelts, Head of Inclusion & Diversity
Observed each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employees and employers alike. This year, UpLyft Together is proud to use the ERG to recognize the importance of ensuring all people with disabilities at Lyft have equal opportunity to prepare for and succeed in employment. This year's theme, Advancing Access and Equity, reminds us of the valued contributions people with disabilities make in our workplaces, and the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 marks a major milestone in an ongoing quest to advance access and equity for all.
Lyft is proud to be a corporate partner of Disability:IN, a leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide with a network of over 400 corporations that expands opportunities for people with disabilities across enterprises. Since 2021, Lyft, along with 485 other national companies, participated in the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN. Lyft is pleased to share that we scored a 100 in our second year of participating, once again being recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion”. Over the next year, Lyft's mission is to strengthen our top-down and empower our bottom-up approach to disability inclusion through a cross-functional strategy which includes:
Encourage a culture of transparency and accountability that drives inclusive practices.
Ensure a greater leadership awareness of and commitment to disability inclusion across the enterprise
Increase disability awareness with a demonstrated commitment to inclusion by championing ERG’s
Expand our use of Inclusively, a workforce inclusion platform that helps companies understand accommodations insights and provides training to help attract and retain previously untapped talent.
Inclusively’s Success Enablers, or workplace accommodations, allow job seekers to filter jobs with their specific needs in mind, offering the ability to connect and interview with confidence.
It is important to mention that 100 on the DEI does not constitute a “perfect score” or that a company has perfect policies and strategies in place. We know this landscape is dynamic, and there is always room to advance disability inclusion and accessibility in the workplace and on our platforms. Having an internal workforce that reflects a population that has been historically overlooked, but benefits from rideshare opportunities, can be an integral component to further drive building a more accessible product and inclusive community of riders and drivers.
According to the Lyft's most recent Economic Impact Report, an estimated 35,000 drivers live with a disability; 43% of drivers with a disability highlight flexibility is important as it allows them to respond to healthcare needs. 3.5m riders who use the Lyft platform live with a disability; 83% of riders with a disability say Lyft has increased independence and 93% of riders with a disability say that Lyft has increased their access to transportation. Fundamentally, Lyft is “committed to delivering dependable products and services that work every time for everyone.” When we build with accessibility in mind, from inception to production, we aim for a more inclusive product and service for those who have historically had limited access to reliable transportation and flexible work.
UpLyft Together is an employee resource group (ERG) that aims to build a culture that emphasizes mental health, wellness, and disability inclusion wherein all team members are empowered to be their best and do their best.