Ride hailing services Uber and Lyft are on the same side for once: They both deny accusations they discriminate against disabled passengers. The two companies are named as defendants in a smattering lawsuits from California to Texas alleging they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to make their cars handicapped accessible. In some courts, Uber and Lyft are even named as co-defendants in a single case—putting the rivals, awkwardly, in the same boat. The complaints paint the car service companies—or at least their drivers—as callous to the disabled. One lawsuit by the National Federation of the Blind of California, for example, says an UberX driver stuffed a blind passenger’s guide dog in the trunk, and refused to stop the car to let the animal out. Other drivers allegedly refused to pick up blind customers accompanied by dogs. Another physically disabled woman, Jennifer McPhail of Austin, says in a lawsuit that a Lyft driver left her on the curb because her wheelchair couldn’t fit in the car.

The driver then failed to provide alternative transportation. Meanwhile, other disabled app users are airing their own grievances outside of court. Kristen Parisi, 30-year-old Boston woman who uses a wheelchair, told The Daily Beast that an Uber driver refused to pack her chair into the trunk, for example. So Parisi had to maneuver herself and the chair into the back seat with no assistance, while the driver berated her as an “invalid.” Uber denies any responsibility by saying it doesn’t discriminate against the disabled and that it can transport blind and wheelchair-bound passengers. It told The Daily Beast that drivers accused of discrimination are usually suspended or fired. Lyft has a similar policy: It is Lyft’s policy that passengers that use wheelchairs that can safely and securely fit in the trunk of the vehicle or backseat of the car without obstructing the view of the driver should be reasonably accommodated by drivers on the Lyft platform, and drivers should make every reasonable effort to transport the passenger and his or her wheelchair.

Lyft says it is also willing to accommodate service animals. But it recommends that passengers who need them call the driver in advance and let them know–and has a hotline for drivers to call if they have a “medically documented reason” that would prevent them from taking the animal. Still, the heart of Uber’s defense against the discrimination allegations could not only define its identity as a firm, but set a new precedent for how it and other disruptive tech-based businesses are viewed in the eyes of the law. Uber argues that as a technology company, it is not subject to laws regulating public transit and other transportation providers, such as the ADA, or “required to provide accessible vehicles or accommodations.” Still, the U.S. Justice Department recently intervened in the blind plaintiffs’ case to urge that the discrimination accusations be taken seriously. It also requested that the court interpret whether the laws governing other transportation providers should apply to Uber as well.

A decision against Uber could be costly to it and other upstart tech firms that may find themselves classified as belonging to a more traditional industry. In a Texas case, Uber has already indicated that the cost of making the necessary modifications would be “extraordinary.” The plaintiff in that lawsuit said a driver refused him service and that he could not order an accessible vehicle through the app.1978 Vinyl Flooring “It would have to modify the Uber App, modify its policies and procedures, and provide wheelchair accessible vehicles in numerous cities,” according to an October court filing.Ikea Shower Curtain Rod Instructions Indeed, Uber has recently added the ability to order a wheelchair-accessible vehicle using its app in certain major cities like New York and San Francisco. T-Shirt Weezer

But it’s unclear if or when the option will be available elsewhere. In the meantime, Eric Lipp, executive director of the Open Doors Organization, which advocates for accessible transportation for disabled passengers, offered this advice in The Daily Beast: “I think that many in the community do not understand that Uber has nothing against access and the ADA,” says Lipp. “The big problem is that until the courts settle whether Uber is a software company or transportation company the disability community will just have to be patient and try to work with Uber, not against them.”Learning how to remove vomit stains is never high on someone's list of priorities, until you really need to know how. Let's face it -- this is a gross topic to deal with, but unfortunately everyone of your family members and friends (and even your pets) will get sick at some point in their lives, and this information will become useful. This is especially helpful information for parents, because our kids really are so little that they sometimes miss the toilet, and that vomit can get over their clothes, the couch they were laying on, or on the carpet.

Below are instructions for vomit stain removal from fabric, upholstery and carpet. However, before you read the instructions below please note that this is general information about removing stains caused by vomit. If you are having trouble getting the stain out using the information below please check the A-Z Stain Removal Guide for specific instructions about the type of food that was contained in the vomit. (I know that is gross to think about, but unfortunately true.) Step 1: Scrape off any excess vomit from the fabric. Step 2: Run the fabric, inside out, under the cold water to flush out as much of the vomit as possible. Step 3: Pretreat the stain with a laundry stain remover. Step 4: Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow to get out the stain, and either chlorine bleach if the fabric will allow it, or oxygen bleach if not. Hint: Make sure the stain is gone after washing, but before you place in the dryer or you may set the stain.

Step 1: Scrape off as much of the vomit as possible from the upholstery without spreading the stain further. Step 2: Place an absorbent, such as cornstarch or baking soda, onto the vomit stains, and let it soak in for approximately 15 minutes. Step 3: Scrape or vacuum up the absorbent, which has absorbed some of the liquid from the vomit. Hint: Depending on the amount of the vomit on the upholstery you may need to repeat this step until no more liquid is absorbed by the baking soda or corn starch. Step 4: For the vomit still remaining take a clean white cloth and sponge the stain caused by it with a dry cleaning solvent. Hint: Be sure to test this solvent on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery to make sure it is safe. Step 5: Next, blot at the stain until the solvent is absorbed. Step 6: Repeat steps 4-5 until the stains are removed from the upholstery. If that does not work you can mix a solution of two cups cool water and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid, and using this solution, sponge the stain with a clean white cloth, blotting at the solution until the liquid is absorbed, and the stain removed.

Once the stain from the vomit is gone use plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the cleaning solution, and then blot dry. Hint: Be sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to remove the stain caused by the vomit. You can get more information on how to clean upholstery here. The instructions for how to remove vomit stains from carpet is the same as for upholstery. You may also find these additional tips for removing these stains from carpet helpful. Further, a reader, Angela shared a simple homemade carpet stain remover recipe that worked for her when her son vomited all over her carpet. Perhaps you don't want to make your own stain remover, but instead want to use something formulated to remove vomit stains. The key is to find products which contain both enzymes and general stain removers, since vomit is a quintessential combination stain. Here are some articles and reviews on this site which discuss how readers told me they successfully removed vomit stains, along with various products that are formulated to remove them: