Yandex Lavka Expands Jobs for Hearing-Impaired Workers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Yandex Uzbekistan is expanding its inclusive employment programs, creating new job opportunities for people with hearing disabilities. Under the Yandex Lavka service, deaf and hard-of-hearing specialists will now be able to work as warehouse staff in the platform’s dark stores.

To implement the initiative, the company has adapted its recruitment, training, and internal communication processes. Employees will be responsible for assembling and packing orders, receiving and placing goods, managing inventory, and maintaining order in storage facilities.

The project is being implemented in partnership with the Tashkent-based public association for people with disabilities “Sharoit Plus.”

The organization assists in candidate selection, interview preparation, and onboarding support during the adaptation period. It also provides Uzbek sign language interpreters and conducts training sessions for Yandex Lavka staff to ensure effective communication with deaf and hard-of-hearing employees.

As part of the program’s preparation, training materials were supplemented with subtitles, and special guidelines were developed for dark store staff to help organize workflows in line with the needs of employees with hearing impairments.

Men and women over the age of 18 who are ready to work full-time and use written communication in the workplace are eligible to apply for the program.

Mansurbek Olloyorov, Adviser to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on social protection issues and Director of the National Agency for Social Protection under the President, noted that developing an inclusive environment requires not only technological solutions but also a systematic approach to ensuring equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

He said cooperation with the Sharoit Plus association has been a key element of the project, helping candidates successfully adapt to the new work environment and contributing to the development of an inclusive corporate culture.

Yandex Uzbekistan is also continuously expanding accessibility features across its digital ecosystem. Nine of the company’s services, including Yandex Go, Alice AI, Mail, Browser, Yandex Music, and Yandex Books, already include accessibility tools for blind and visually impaired users.

In addition, in cooperation with the National Agency for Social Protection, the company is implementing a social taxi project. Around 700 deaf and hard-of-hearing drivers currently work with the Yandex Go service in Uzbekistan, which also offers special options tailored to the needs of people with disabilities.

Experts say such initiatives contribute to expanding employment opportunities, improving social integration, and building a more inclusive labor market in Uzbekistan.