Silent Delivery: Practices and Challenges of Delivering Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing Couriers

Title of the Paper

Silent Delivery: Practices and Challenges of Delivering Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing Couriers

Bibliographic Information

• Research Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Social Computing, and Accessibility Studies
• Keywords: Accessibility, Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), Assistive Information and Communication Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, Qualitative Research, Platform Labor, Inclusive Design
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642801

Research Background and Issues

• Problems or Challenges:

  • Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals in China have long faced employment challenges, including low levels of education, difficulties in accessing information, and workplace discrimination.
  • The unique experiences and challenges of DHH couriers remain underexplored in academic research, particularly regarding their interactions and communication with customers, merchants, and platforms.
  • The characteristics of platform labor (e.g., algorithmic scheduling) exacerbate difficulties for DHH workers, necessitating further exploration into whether technological assistance in their work environments is sufficient.

• Significance of the Research:

  • Understanding the experiences of DHH couriers in China can help improve their work environments and technological support, thereby promoting socially inclusive employment and providing insights for developing countries.
  • The study can influence the design of delivery platforms to alleviate the stress and challenges faced by DHH workers, fostering fairness in technology.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Existing studies on DHH individuals primarily focus on traditional online collaboration environments or offline scenarios, but the frequent interactions required in platform labor introduce new communication demands for this group.
  • This study aims to understand the motivations, practices, and challenges of DHH couriers in platform work through qualitative research.

Solutions

• Research Methods:

  • Observation: Conducted 4 hours of observational tracking of two DHH couriers' workflows, covering specific communication and operational scenarios from order acceptance to delivery.
  • Interviews: Conducted semi-structured interviews with 6 DHH couriers and 4 station managers to explore their work practices, motivations, and challenges.
  • Data Analysis: Used qualitative coding methods (via MAXQDA) to extract themes related to motivations, practices, and challenges.

• Key Technologies and Tools:

  • Platform-provided assistive features (e.g., AI voice calls, speech-to-text functionality, electronic communication cards).
  • Human intervention (including peer support and station managers' order scheduling and response assistance).
  • Individual strategies (e.g., adjusting work hours to avoid peak times, notifying customers with preset messages).

• Innovations:

  • Conducted the first in-depth study of DHH couriers' work lives within China's unique food delivery ecosystem, focusing on identity disclosure and the impact of technological tools on daily practices.
  • Provided recommendations for improving platform HCI design, advocating for a combination of technological support and human-centered care.

Research Findings

• Motivations:

  • Low Employment Barriers: DHH couriers can enter the industry with simple training, without requiring high educational qualifications.
  • Higher Income: Their income significantly increases after joining the courier industry (ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 RMB/month), making it more attractive than manual labor.
  • Sense of Community Belonging: Mutual support networks among DHH couriers, especially through social media for job information, enhance their sense of professional identity.

• Practices:

  • Proactive Identity Disclosure: Using platform tags and preset messages to reduce the need for voice communication, fostering greater understanding and support from others.
  • Technological Assistance: Frequent use of AI voice calls, speech-to-text functionality, and electronic communication cards in key scenarios (e.g., notifying customers or asking for directions).
  • Human Intervention: Station managers assist with order scheduling or handling customer complaints during peak periods; peers share experiences to improve team efficiency.

• Challenges:

  • Safety Risks: Inability to perceive environmental sounds leads to higher risks of traffic accidents; multitasking while riding increases stress.
  • Communication Difficulties: Some users distrust AI voice calls, potentially causing misunderstandings; regional sign language differences complicate peer communication.
  • Dignity Issues in Identity Disclosure: In certain situations, exaggerated gestures are needed to attract attention, causing discomfort for DHH couriers.

• Future Directions and Design Recommendations:

  • Improved Route Planning: Platforms should optimize delivery algorithms to prioritize safety needs for DHH workers (e.g., avoiding complex road conditions).
  • Trust in AI Voice Communication: Enhance the naturalness of AI voice systems and use human-centered design to build customer trust.
  • Sound Perception Technology: Develop tactile or visual-based environmental sound alert systems to improve safety for DHH couriers.
  • More Inclusive HCI Platforms: Involve DHH individuals in the design phase to enhance the accessibility of platform features.

Limitations and Future Research

• Platform Scope: This study focuses on China's two major food delivery platforms (Meituan and Ele.me); future research could expand to other delivery platforms to verify the generalizability of the findings.
• Participant Diversity: The interviewed DHH couriers were predominantly male, aged 24–35, leaving out the experiences of women and broader age groups.
• Research Depth: Further exploration is needed into the cultural and social dynamics affecting DHH workers.

This study provides a comprehensive depiction of the practices and challenges faced by DHH couriers in China's food delivery industry, offering valuable insights for building a more inclusive and safer digital labor ecosystem.