Yandex Go Adapts Taxi Service for Deaf Drivers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Yandex Go has updated its driver platform, making the service more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers.

Drivers can now join the service entirely online through a dedicated website, without the need for phone calls, and all training materials have been translated into sign language.

Vehicles are equipped with cards and headrest covers indicating “Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Driver,” allowing passengers to easily communicate with the driver, for example, to request air conditioning or music. In Uzbekistan, 700 drivers with hearing impairments are already working with Yandex Go, completing over 35,000 trips per month.

The updates coincide with International Day of the Deaf, observed annually on the last Sunday of September, and incorporate feedback from the drivers themselves. After submitting a form on the website, support staff contact the driver via messenger. For taxi fleets, Yandex Pro has made a publicly available guide with recommendations on organizing communication with drivers who have hearing impairments.

Dilfuza Ruzmetova, Head of Public Relations at the National Social Protection Agency, highlighted the importance of the initiative: “It is crucial for us that people with disabilities have equal professional opportunities and can fully participate in the country’s economic life. Yandex Go’s project demonstrates that business can be socially responsible and a partner in promoting inclusion. Adapting services to the needs of people with disabilities not only opens new job opportunities but also fosters a culture of respect and equal rights.”

Dilmurad Yusupov, co-founder and project director of NGO “Sharoyt Plus,” noted: “This initiative shows how business can become inclusive by listening to the needs of the community of people with disabilities and creating momentum for social change in the country. The solutions were developed based on feedback from deaf drivers themselves, setting a new standard of accessibility in Uzbekistan’s labor market.”

Previously, Yandex Pro introduced features for drivers with hearing impairments: when a new order arrives, the smartphone vibrates, the screen flashes, and the “Call” button is disabled, with all communication shifted to chat.

Once these options are activated via support, the service interface is updated, allowing drivers and passengers to interact safely and conveniently.