Visually impaired users in KSA can now easily book a ride through Careem’s new features

Careem, UAE based ride-hailing service added features to its app for users in Saudi Arabia that make it easier for sight-impaired users to book their ride.

The new accessibility features are available to both iOS and Android users that use speech-to-text and speech recognition.

Careem worked with visually impaired users and learned about the challenges regarding ride booking through Careem app. It discovered the best solution could be to provide these users with the facility to listen to the text aloud. So, it rolled out text-to-speech feature that helps the users read text out loud and speech recognition feature that helps the users give commands through the app with their voice.

Dr. Abdulla Elyas, Co-founder and CEO of Careem KSA said,

“Our mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people in the region. We’re extremely proud to launch our new accessibility features which will support our visually impaired customers”

In April, Careem informed its users about a data breach of its systems. There was no evidence that the hackers accessed passwords or credit cards information. The breach involved access to data storage system that was hoarding data from 14 million riders and 558,800 drivers. Careem received a severe backlash by the users after this.

The app was launched in 2012 and is region’s only tech unicorn. Careem’s ride-hailing service covers more than 50 cities of KSA.