Lyft requests will light up phones for deaf drivers

Back in April, Lyft launched features that made its system easier to use by deaf drivers and those who are hard of hearing. Now, it's adding a couple more to celebrate National Deaf Awareness Month. Thanks to its partnership with the National Association of the Deaf, the ride-hailing firm has developed "flash-on request" for drivers. If they've activated the app's hard-of-hearing accessibility function, they'll get a powerful visual notification whenever a ride request comes in: their phone's screen and flashlight will both light up. When combined with the Amp emblem flashing the words "New Ride," it could lower the chances of a driver missing out on a request.

In addition, Lyft is also making an attempt to breach the language barrier between drivers and passengers. It's beefing up the automated text it sends out notifying passengers that their drivers are deaf or hard of hearing with a link to a tutorial on how to say "Hello" and "Thank you" in American Sign Language. The company didn't say when the features will be available exactly, but it promises to roll them out soon.