'Silent riders' thrive, show resilience in digital era

New forms of employment

Zhao, from Heilongjiang province, became a ride-hailing driver in 2021 after his startup venture failed. Once he had saved enough money, he bought a car and registered with DiDi.

Now an experienced driver covering about 300 kilometers a day, Zhao knows the city's roads so well that the map is largely in his mind. He often shows his driver's license to passengers to ease any concerns.

Yet for a driver with hearing impairments, the biggest challenge remains communicating with passengers by phone.

"When there's a traffic jam, I need to let the passenger know it will take a few more minutes," he explained."In other cases, I have to call the passenger if I arrive early."

Over time, Zhao has developed his own ways to bridge this gap. In such situations, he may ask a passerby to help make the call or use AI-powered text-to-speech tools to generate voice messages.

Since May last year, DiDi has introduced a feature that notifies passengers before the trip if their driver has a hearing impairment, encouraging them to use text-based communication. During the ride, the app also provides guidance to passengers, such as gently tapping the driver on the shoulder in urgent situations.

In recent years, many people with hearing impairments like Zhao have entered the ride-hailing industry. Zhao is part of a group chat with more than 100 drivers with hearing impairments, where they exchange experiences and advice.