Deaf Lyft Driver’s Simple Gesture In US Makes Indian Founder Ask: Can India Do More?

An ordinary cab ride in the US turned into an eye-opening experience for an Indian tech founder after he discovered how a ride-hailing app had made provisions for communicating with a deaf driver.

Gaurav Kheterpal, founder of Vanshiv Tech, was travelling to his hotel when he booked a Lyft cab and noticed a note informing him that his driver was deaf or hard of hearing. What caught his attention was not just the information, but the way the app prepared passengers to communicate with the driver.

Kheterpal said the app offered guidance on interacting with the driver and introduced him to basic American Sign Language (ASL) phrases, including “hello” and “thank you."

Landed in US, booked a cab from @lyft to go to my hotel & saw a note that my driver is deaf/ hard of hearing.

The app also prompted me on how to use helpful American Sign Language phrases. 

And as it turns out, when the cab arrived, my driver was indeed deaf. He handed over a… pic.twitter.com/y7bBNFshEU

— Gaurav Kheterpal (@gauravkheterpal) September 23, 2026

When the cab arrived, Kheterpal found that the driver was indeed deaf. The driver handed him a card confirming it and welcomed him. Kheterpal then used sign language to thank him, turning what began as a routine cab booking into a memorable interaction.

Sharing screenshots of the booking and Lyft’s guide titled “Helpful American Sign Language (ASL) phrases”, Kheterpal said the experience made him reflect on the opportunities available to people with disabilities in India.

He questioned whether India could create greater opportunities and dignity for people with disabilities beyond reservations in government jobs. While acknowledging that the US also faces its own challenges, Kheterpal said he felt the country offered people with disabilities opportunities to participate more equally and urged India to strengthen its efforts towards inclusion.

His post, however, sparked a discussion, with several people highlighting examples of accessibility and employment initiatives already present in India.