Amazon CEO meets deaf employees at Silent Delivery Station in Mumbai

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was in India for three days and among the highlights of his visit was a visit to an Amazon delivery station in Mumbai staffed by deaf people. Bezos took to to social media to share his pride in the programme.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took time out during his three-day India visit to meet with the deaf employees at an Amazon Silent Delivery Station in Mumbai. In 2017, Amazon launched its first Silent Delivery Station in Mumbai as part of its commitment to the inclusion of disabled people within its network.

Over 30 deaf people employed at Amazon Silent Delivery Stations in Mumbai

The Silent Delivery Stations are last mile delivery stations that are entirely managed by deaf people. The first one in Mumbai was launched in partnership with Mirakle Couriers. The station is completely managed and run by deaf people. This was followed by the launch of a second silent station in Mumbai in 2018. Together they have provided job opportunities to over 30 deaf people in Mumbai.

After his visit, Bezos shared a video the programme and said it made him “proud”. In a post shared on Twitter and Instagram he said,

Proud of the program we have in India to hire and train deaf associates at our delivery stations. Managers learn basic sign language to be able to communicate. Meeting this group was a moving experience for me. – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon

Bezos also shared a video of him interacting with the deaf staff at the delivery station.

Proud of the program we have in India to hire and train deaf associates at our delivery stations. Managers learn basic sign language to be able to communicate. Meeting this group was a moving experience for me. pic.twitter.com/gGm0dvCjkX
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) January 19, 2020

Bezos video shared widely on social media

Bezos’ video has been viewed over two lakh times on Twitter and many people have responded warmly to the video with messages like “Kudos to you for revolutionising the work culture here” and “Wonderful initiative”.

Amazon trains its deaf employees with the help of interpreters. In April 2017, Amazon piloted an initiative designed to create opportunities for persons who are deaf at its Fulfilment Centre (FC) in Hyderabad. This has expanded to more than eight cities. Today there are over 300 deaf and hard of hearing employees who are part of the Amazon network across India.