Indian Man Shares Experience With Deaf Cab Driver In US, Internet Reacts

An Indian tech entrepreneur shared his cab ride experience in the United States, revealing that the driver had a hearing disability. This sparked a conversation about accessibility and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The founder named Gaurav Kheterpal, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that he booked a Lyft to his hotel. Before the car arrived, the app alerted him that his assigned driver was deaf or hard of hearing. To make communication easier, the platform automatically displayed basic American Sign Language (ASL) phrases, such as "thank you" and "hello", directly on the screen.

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When the cab pulled up, the driver handed Kheterpal a small welcome card explaining his condition. "He handed over a card stating so & welcoming me. And I said thank you in sign language," he wrote.

Reflecting on the journey, he asked, "Will we ever have the same level of opportunity and respect for specially enabled people in India & go beyond just offering them a quota in Government jobs?"

"There may be thousands of things wrong with the US & troll me for it, but as a country, it truly does provide equal opportunity for all, regardless of disability," he added. "India, we all need to step up."

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

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Social media reactions

The post went viral, with users sharing their perspective on the topic. "Amazon is already hiring them in FC for packing, inventory stuff. That's the standard of a good MNC Company," one user wrote in the comment section of the post.

"@Uber_India in Bengaluru gives you info on the driver when you book the cab. Only no sign language info, which is good to know," another user shared their experience in Bengaluru.

"Indigo does it already. I have encountered several personnel at their check-in counters who were deaf and using sign language," a third user wrote, sharing their experience with the airline.

While a majority praised the move, some raised safety concerns, writing, "Actually, being deaf is a serious issue , if there is an emergency, to take action, be aware of situational awareness, it's important to have some level of hearing. Being not able to speak is fine; there are other avenues where they can work well."