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ARTHUR SOSA
PRODUCT EQUITY DESIGNER

Empowering riders with disabilities

Inclusion & Equity

Users who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision face communication barriers when using the Uber platform. This often results in misunderstandings with drivers who are unaware of their needs, leading to unsatisfactory experiences and trip cancellations.

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Design process

UX Research Methodology and Key Insights

  • User Interviews: Conducted interviews with deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, and low-vision users to understand their challenges and experiences on the app.

  • Consultation with Experts: Partnered with advocates and experts in the disability community to guide the development of effective and inclusive solutions.

Development Process

  • Co-creation with the Community: Collaborated with organizations representing people with disabilities to identify appropriate terminology and avoid language that could be considered offensive or pejorative.

  • Usability Testing: Conducted usability tests with users with hearing and vision disabilities to validate the effectiveness of the new features.

Final Solution

  1. Self-Identification in the App: Introduced a feature allowing users to identify as deaf or hard of hearing, and as blind or having low vision. Users have the autonomy to decide whether to share this information with drivers, ensuring control over their communication preferences.

  2. Customized Communication Preferences: Enabled users to set communication preferences, such as opting for in-app text messages instead of calls, ensuring drivers are notified and respect their choices.

Impact

We are currently collecting data to evaluate the results of these features and their impact on the experiences of users with hearing and vision disabilities.

Reflections and Next Steps

  • Collaborating directly with the affected community was crucial to developing solutions that meet the needs of users, especially those with multiple disabilities.

  • We will refine the experience based on the results of the initial launch and plan to expand the functionality to additional regions, aiming to continually improve platform accessibility.

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