The Zomato Delivery Partner
A small encounter at a food stall turned into a lesson in empathy and accessibility.
The Encounter
One evening while eating at a food stall in Delhi, I noticed a Zomato delivery partner arriving on a special three-wheeled vehicle. He had a physical disability and couldn’t walk, but his vehicle allowed him to pick up and deliver orders independently.
The Gap
After speaking with him, I learned about the struggles he faced:
Restaurants on upper floors that required repeated calls for someone to bring orders down.
Customers who expected doorstep delivery despite his visible mobility challenges.
A lack of app features to indicate his situation to restaurants or users.
The Action
I shared his story on LinkedIn, highlighting how a small change, such as marking delivery partners with mobility challenges on the app, could create empathy, save time, and reduce frustration.
The Impact
Zomato’s team noticed the post and responded, promising to look into it. For me, this was proof that sometimes design begins with simply amplifying a voice that deserves to be heard.
