New · Deaf-friendly Tinka 🧏
A ride app that doesn't need you to hear.
Tinka is Uganda's first homegrown ride app with a Deaf-friendly mode. If you're Deaf or hard of hearing, your driver is told before pickup, the call buttons disappear, and everything happens by text: for riders and for drivers.
Why we built it
Ride apps assume everyone can take a phone call. For a Deaf rider, that "Hello, where are you?" call is a wall, and too often the trip ends right there. A Deaf rider wrote to us after exactly that happened. We didn't just apologise; we changed the app.
Deaf-friendly mode makes text the default for anyone who needs it, so every Tinka trip works without a single phone call.
How Deaf-friendly mode works
One tick, at sign-up or any time
Tick "I'm Deaf or hard of hearing" when you create your account, or switch it on in Settings. It works the same for riders and for drivers.
Your driver knows before pickup
The trip offer says "Deaf rider — message only", and the driver gets a reminder the moment they accept. No surprise phone calls.
Calls switched off, chat switched on
The Call button becomes a Message button. Quick replies like "I've arrived" and "Where are you?" mean pickups take one tap, not a conversation.
Deaf drivers welcome
New trip requests flash on screen and vibrate strongly instead of relying on a ringtone. Riders are asked to message instead of calling, and a Deaf driver is never marked down because a rider couldn't phone them.
Respect is not optional
If anyone is rude to, mocks or frightens a Deaf rider or driver, report it on the trip. Tinka treats it as a serious safety report. Every Tinka trip is also protected by face-verified drivers, pickup codes and one-tap SOS. Need help? Text us on WhatsApp: we'll never ask you to call.
Questions, answered
Is there a ride app in Uganda for Deaf people? +
Yes. Tinka has a Deaf-friendly mode for riders and drivers who are Deaf or hard of hearing. As far as we are aware, Tinka is Uganda's first homegrown ride app to offer it, and the only ride app in Uganda with it today.
How do I turn on Deaf-friendly mode in Tinka? +
Tick "I'm Deaf or hard of hearing" when you sign up, or switch it on any time in Settings in the Tinka app. It is in the latest app update.
Will my driver call me if I am Deaf? +
No. Your driver is told before pickup that you are Deaf, and their Call button is replaced by in-app chat. Quick replies like "I've arrived" make pickup easy without speaking.
Can Deaf people drive with Tinka? +
Yes. Deaf drivers switch on Deaf-friendly mode in Settings: new trip requests flash and vibrate instead of relying on a ringtone, riders are asked to message instead of calling, and a Deaf driver is never marked down because a rider could not phone them.
What if someone is rude to me because I am Deaf? +
Report it on the trip in the Tinka app. Abuse or mocking of a Deaf rider or driver is treated as a serious safety report, and Tinka support can be reached by text on WhatsApp (+256 760 722 262), never by forced phone call.
Everyone rides. Everyone drives.
Tinka: built in Uganda, for everyone in Uganda.