The same reason we require businesses to install wheelchair ramps.
A business has to follow all laws. If a business can't do that in a cost effective manner that is the business's problem and not the law's.
Laws also aren't always all good or all bad. Sometimes they include both positive and negative consequences. Making it more expensive to do business is a tradeoff that society has decided to accept in the name of making the world more accessible to people with disabilities.
If Uber can't afford to pay for it and/or they lose drivers because drivers refuse to pay for it, those are Uber's problems and not the law's.
It becomes a problem for the citizens when the cost of this policy causes prices to skyrocket due to artificial scarcity.
ADA exemptions exist for small companies where it would be unreasonable to bear the additional costs.
Fundamentally it's a political question of what kind of society we want, do we want one where cities have to make curb cuts in sidewalks or do we want one in which it is extremely difficult for wheelchair users to use sidewalks. The balance the US has currently settled on is that small business is largely exempt, and larger businesses must accommodate.
It should be noted that this case has not been ruled against Uber yet, and that the suit revolves around wait times, not wheelchair accessible cars.
To be honest once accessibility standards are adopted by society at large they are not very expensive in general. It is however, VERY expensive when accessible goods and services are not provided at scale.
I'd be surprised if it were even 1%. As far as I'm aware, stock passenger vehicles are never wheelchair accessible -- it requires some expensive aftermarket hardware to be installed.
So it can really range from needing a bit of help to needing a special vehicle.
I was thinking about "Worldwide AggreGate" or something like that when i've read your comment.
It's about kindness. These companies want to treat ALL customers as the least expensive user. Don't you realize that this demeans YOU and much s it does the disabled?