Uber's In-App Features Aims More Deaf Drivers

Uber's in-app features create job opportunities for Deaf drivers in Canada and the United States.

TORONTO -- As many as 300 drivers in Toronto, use Uber's in-app features, for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, people. For many Uber users, much of the appeal of the ride-hailing service is that most of the transaction can be done through an app, related the story covers New App Features For Deaf Uber Drivers.

But for one Toronto Uber driver, it's about much more than convenience. Shafiul Hoque is a Deaf driver who says thanks to the company's technology-driven approach, he has his first job in more than a decade.

"I heard that they were willing to hire Deaf drivers," Hoque said in an interview aided by an American Sign Language interpreter. "I found that they were actually very accessible."

Hoque says he still remembers his first pick-up. It went smoothly and "communication was not a problem at all."

He credits a set of in-app features that Uber has rolled out specifically for Deaf and HoH drivers to communicate with riders.

Uber says he's now one of at least 300 drivers in Toronto alone who have been using the in-app features on the job for the past year.

How it works - As soon as a trip is requested, drivers using the in-app features will see a flashing light, in addition to getting the usual audio alert. Passengers also receive a notification, to let them know their Uber driver will be Deaf or HoH.

“If I can do it, so can you.” Larry is Deaf and on a mission to follow his dreams. Find out how partnering with Uber made it possible for him to move to LA and support his family while starting a new career.

Passengers also aren't able to call their driver - they can only text and they'll get an additional prompt to make sure they put in their destination.

"Some people have always asked me how I can communicate with people so easily, but with the technology and with the cellular device, I can do that," Hoque said. "That eliminates barriers for all of us."

For Hoque, the simple additions to the Uber app have opened up a world of opportunity. Not long ago, he didn't think he would ever be able to get a job as a driver.

Life-changing technology - With technological advances, that no longer seems to be a problem. Hoque says he knows as many as 10 other people from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community who are out on the roads driving for Uber... Read More on CBC News.

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New App Features For Deaf Uber Drivers

Uber just made it easy to be a Deaf drivers.

MUMBAI, India -- When Salman, an Uber driver in Mumbai, could not take calls from passengers, customers would cancel his ride. He would also have to text every rider to let them know that he’s Deaf, which caused delays when picking up his riders.

Uber just made life easier for him and several drivers across the world who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

An update to the taxi-hailing app, which was launched in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., has now gone live in India.

While there has been no official announcement on this yet, Uber has confirmed this development in India.

So, how does the app work?

Once a driver chooses to turn on the special features by flipping a switch inside the app, a light will flash when a new trip is requested in addition to the existing audio cue.

The passengers won't be able to call the driver as that option will be blocked. Riders who want to provide special pickup instructions, can only to do so via text.

The app also adds an extra screen for passengers to enter their destination alongside a note that lets them know their driver is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing.

“We hope these features help extend the earning opportunity that Uber presents to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community,” Ben Metcalfe, head of product innovation at Uber, wrote in his blog.

Miraj Vora, who took a ride with Salman, tweeted that he happy with his experience.

"I had a great ride with Salman. We spoke about his new life as a driver in Mumbai and it was a peaceful ride overall," he told HuffPost India.

Though the learning process is the same for all drivers, the trainers usually spend more time with them. "We are also planning to get professional aid for training," Uber spokesperson said.

“If I can do it, so can you.” Larry is Deaf and on a mission to follow his dreams. Find out how partnering with Uber made it possible for him to move to LA and support his family while starting a new career.

As reported by WHO, there are about 250-300 million Deaf people in the world, with 66 percent of them live in the underdeveloped nations, and India has the largest share.

A spokesperson from Uber said that not too many Deaf drivers have signed up for it yet.

But, this is just the beginning of the initiative and a much appreciated one.

SOURCE - HUFFINGTONPOST

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New York City’s First Deaf Taxi Drivers

Interviews: Meet one of New York City’s first Deaf uber drivers.

NEW YORK CITY -- Pin Lu was an accountant before ferrying passengers; ‘Deaf people are good drivers because they focus and pay attention’ Many initially convey surprise or concern when they discover he can’t hear, but he said being Deaf gives him an advantage in honk-filled. In many ways, he is a typical UberX driver.

He uses his own car, complete with a crocheted owl dangling from the rearview mirror, to ferry passengers who hail him via the popular ride-sharing app.

He often works long hours, saving to start his own business someday. And he takes pride in his user ratings, saying he has earned 4.82 out of a possible 5 stars. But when New Yorkers step into Mr. Lu’s green 2011 Honda Accord, many are surprised to be handed a note asking them to type a destination into the GPS.

Mr. Lu, the note explains, is Deaf.

“Let me know if you have a preferred route by using your hand motion as direction,” it reads. “If you have any questions, knock your hand to my shoulder. Write/type note to me as communication.”

Uber Technologies Inc. estimates it has about 40 Deaf “driver-partners” across the U.S. and predicts that number is likely to grow as the company expands into new markets.

Mr. Lu, a spokeswoman said, is one of its first in the New York area.

Mr. Lu, 29 years old, was born without hearing in Fuzhou, China, and immigrated to Queens, New York with his family when he was 10.

After earning an accounting degree from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2011, he spent about two years doing accounting work for the Defense Department in Rome, N.Y., but he grew tired of small-town life “in the middle of nowhere,” he says.

Mr. Lu moved back to the New York area and switched paths, becoming a driver for Uber and occasionally for its competitor Lyft, earning his Taxi and Limousine Commission license in July.

Most weeks, he said, he now spends five to seven days a week seven to 10 hours a day behind the wheel.

Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing people in New York can get a driver's license with a restriction specifying they need a hearing aid or a full-view rearview mirror, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

“If I can do it, so can you.” Larry is Deaf and on a mission to follow his dreams. Find out how partnering with Uber made it possible for him to move to LA and support his family while starting a new career.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission doesn’t register or track the disabilities of its licensees, a representative said... Read The Full Story.

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