Last year Lyft introduced a new feature in their cars called Amp. This is basically a device placed on the dashboard of a Lyft car in which it will glow various colors that will help riders identify their ride. It will also be able to display messages like greetings for when a passenger gets into the car.However Lyft has decided it could do more with the feature, and in an announcement on its blog, the company has decided to improve accessibility for its drivers who might be deaf or hard of hearing. According to Lyft, “Deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers will now see new ride requests displayed on their Amp device, with text reading “NEW RIDE.” This is just one more way that Amp continues to better connect our drivers and passengers.”
They are also introducing a passenger notification system to let passengers know ahead of time that their driver might be deaf or hard of hearing. “Passengers will also experience a new app feature, letting them know that their driver is deaf or hard of hearing before their Lyft arrives. Through an SMS notification, passengers will be alerted to contact their driver by text rather than by phone, and to be sure to let the driver lead the way with communication.”
The company has also announced that they are partnering up with the National Association of the Deaf, where both organizations will work together to improve upon accessibility features as well as raise awareness.
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