Dozens of deaf Uber drivers shut out of pilot project
New agreement with province means Uber drivers requires taxi licence, something deaf drivers cannot access
Daybreak's Shari Okeke meets two deaf Uber drivers who say the agreement with the province leaves deaf drivers behind. If you are deaf and would like to read a transcript of Shari's radio story on Daybreak, go here.
Getting into a car with a deaf driver at the wheel was a first for me this week.
I'm embarrassed to admit I had never – to my knowledge – met a deaf driver or even thought about deaf people driving.
But working on this story about a group of Uber drivers worried about losing their jobs, despite the recent agreement between Uber and the Quebec government, has opened my eyes.
Louis Desbiens is 39 years old and he was born deaf. Patrick Lazure is 37 years old and lost his hearing after catching meningitis at six months old.
They say they're among about 40 deaf Uber drivers in Quebec and they both love their jobs.
"I like seeing people smiling, seeing different faces, different races. I like seeing all kinds of people," said Desbiens with the help of a sign language interpreter.
He has worked as an electrician but that work has not been stable, so driving for Uber has helped financially and it's been a way to have contact with a lot of people.
"I don't want to be isolated," he said.
Lazure used to work in construction but that wasn't stable either. He is married with two young children and says flexible work hours with Uber has improved his work-life balance.
"I used to be frustrated before. I was more emotional. [Now] I'm more encouraged. We have activities, we go out. I have more choices in life now," Lazure said.
Jobs in jeopardy
Both men are worried they'll be out of work once the new rules for Uber drivers come into effect.
Uber and the Quebec government agreed that all Uber drivers must obtain a Class 4C driver's licence, for taxis and limousines.
Drivers registered with Uber before Aug. 17, 2016 have three months to finalize the steps to get their 4C licence.
Those steps include having held a regular (Class 5) licence for at least one year, being in good health (as confirmed by a medical doctor) and passing a knowledge test.
But the SAAQ, the province's auto insurance agency, does not allow deaf people to obtain a 4C licence even if they meet all the other criteria.
"Because the responsibility is different than if you're driving a passenger vehicle. You have to be able to communicate. I think it's the main reason because you won't be able to have a 4C drivers licence if you're completely deaf," said Mario Vaillancourt, a spokesman for the SAAQ.
Desbiens and Lazure insist they are able to communicate with passengers using the technology Uber has adapted specifically for them.
Their smart phones flash when a client is calling and the client receives a notification that the Uber driver is deaf. As with any Uber ride, the client can choose to cancel the call and the driver won't know exactly why.
'They forgot about us deaf people'
Although Desbiens and Lazure are grateful to Uber for giving them an opportunity to do work they love, they are frustrated by the part of the agreement with the province that requires drivers to get a 4C driver's permit – which is inaccessible to them.
"They found a solution but…they forgot about us deaf people," Desbiens said.
Uber would not agree to do an interview with CBC and instead sent a brief email.
We want to open the barriers.- Patrick Lazure, deaf Uber driver
"We continue to advocate on behalf of deaf and hard-of-hearing driver-partners and we will keep them advised on the impact of Quebec regulations for ride sharing," wrote Uber spokesman Jean-Christophe De Le Rue.
Lazure said that Uber is trying to negotiate an exception to the rule (of needing a 4C permit) for deaf drivers but he does not want an exception.
Instead, Lazure and Desbiens want the Quebec government to allow deaf drivers access to the 4C permit, so that they can work not only for Uber but for any taxi company.
"We want to open the barriers," Lazure said.
Both Lazure and Desbiens say they've never had an accident with a passenger and they consistently score high when clients rate them on the Uber app.
Along for the ride
My first surprise was opening the passenger door and hearing music he was playing on the radio.
Desbiens signaled to me that he plays it for passengers because they love it. I do not understand sign language but I understood exactly what he was telling me.
We picked up four different customers and they were all comfortable having a deaf driver.
"Being an Uber user you're open to technology, most likely younger, so open to this kind of opportunity. It's great for them, it gives them work, it's part of the whole sharing economy," said Ivana Gimeno, a project manager on her way to teach a course at HEC.
The customers we met that afternoon seemed baffled that Desbiens and other deaf drivers cannot have access to a 4C permit.
Customers supportive
"It could show the other people they are able to drive cars and they are maybe not so different from the others," said Jérémie Abbou, who owns a web marketing company and says his parents are deaf and they drive too.
Admittedly, as the passenger of a deaf driver for the first time, I was a little jumpy when I'd hear loud trucks and other noises – aware Desbiens was not hearing them.
'We don't want the gift of social welfare.'- Louis Desbiens, deaf Uber driver
His eyes were focused on the road.
At one point, as I was facing the back seat interviewing a customer, I noticed Desbiens was emphatically pointing at something. Only when I turned around did I hear the siren of the fire truck he had spotted moments before I heard the sound.
As we navigated orange cones and traffic jams for more than two hours, I forgot Desbiens could not hear me.
He plans to keep driving home his message that deaf drivers need access to Class 4C driver's permits.
Debiens intends to put pressure on the Quebec government, with the support of the Metropolitan Montreal Deaf Community Centre.
"Give us an opportunity to work. We don't want the gift of social welfare," he said.
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