The Local Guides community has always shown dedication to making Google Maps more accessible through their contributions. From launching accessibility campaigns to spread awareness to leading meet-ups focused on accessible contributions, we are continuously in awe of the dedication that Local Guides show in making the Map more accessible.
In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day today, we’re highlighting five of the Local Guides who are making this kind of difference. We sat down with each of them to learn more about why they’re so passionate about this and their tips for others who want to make a similar difference, both on the Map and off.
Emeka Ulor from Nigeria
Local Guide Level 10 Emeka Ulor is a Connect Moderator and passionate accessibility advocate. He is known in the Local Guides community for launching the One Accessibility campaign, writing posts and reviews and hosting meet-ups to encourage others to include accessibility information on Google Maps. “Our core team of Local Guides based in Argentina, Australia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United Kingdom is awesome. We also have more than 20 volunteers from six continents helping to add accessibility data to Google Maps while advocating for barrier-free spaces in their cities.”
Emeka is primarily focused on contributions that highlight accessible environments and places that have removed barriers in natural spaces. “I love to see gardens, forests, mountain areas and beaches with wheelchair trails,” he told us.
During his time as a Local Guide, he has hosted more than 100 meet-ups to add accessibility information to Google Maps in four continents. “Google Maps users in these areas can read my reviews to see if those points of interest are step-free or provide accessible parking and restrooms,” he said. “As of March 2021, I have made over 53,000 contributions, checked more than 40,000 facts and garnered 36 million views on Google Maps! I have made several reviews that include information about wheelchair accessible parking, entrances, restrooms, lighting, Braille and seating.”
Jesica Lichtensztein from Argentina
Jesica, like Emeka, is also a passionate member of the One Accessibility team. She told us that making the map more accessible is important to her because it can improve the quality of life for many.
**“**I think that Google Maps can really make life easier for everyone, so I think the more information it has, the better,” she said. “For some, having accessibility information before going somewhere isn’t just a matter of taste or preferences, but many times it is a matter if they can go or not. For example, they need to discover if they would need assistance to go, if the place has an accessible restroom, if they would be able to communicate with others, whether they’d be able enjoy the attractions, or if they’re physically able to enter it.”
Jesica also thinks that contributing in this way makes other people more aware of accessibility, which in turn might inspire businesses to take accessibility into account and make changes to be inclusive.
To help generate visibility for accessibility information on Google Maps, she spreads the word through various platforms including social media and right here on Connect. “The One Accessibility team posts weekly articles on Local Guides Connect regarding accessibility, we have virtual meet-ups with the community and many times guests who know a lot about the topic, and when it’s safe we have in-person meet-ups to check if areas are accessible and add that information to Maps with other Local Guides that might not know much about accessibility,” she said.
Uchechukwu Enem from Nigeria
Uchechukwu from Nigeria is another passionate Local Guide and accessibility advocate. “I started the Accessibility Programme in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria which made the Catholic Church in this region change the architectural design of all their buildings to be accessible, embrace inclusiveness and accommodate unhindered movement for those living with disabilities,” she told us. “I am advocating for greater awareness.”
Her inspiration to get so involved in this area? Fellow Local Guides. “My interest in accessibility grew when I saw many passionate local guides like Sagir Adamu, Emeka Ulor, Jessica, Kashif, Jane, Ermes, Traci, contributing to the map to improve accessibility,” she told us.
She’s also extremely involved with volunteering for other organizations and meeting with her local government leaders to make lasting change. “My aim is to see that ALL public places are accessible,” she said.
Tushar Suradkar from India
Tushar is a mechanical engineer by profession and a traveler at heart from Delhi, India. He is interested in helping others through accessible contributions for many reasons including his own personal experience. “I have experienced the negative effects of low vision and vision impairment since early childhood to the extent that I, and many others around me, suffered great losses due to missed opportunities as a result of such disabilities,” he said. “I understand the necessity to make everyday places like hospitals, bus stops, banks, and commercial places more accessible for those who are visually impaired.”
Tushar has created a great system for ensuring all of his reviews cover the topics he’s passionate about. “To add accessibility information effectively and in a manner that is clear and noticeable to those who are looking for it, I made it a practice to fill in a template and add it to every review, where applicable,” he said.
He also stamps a Pass/Fail icon indicating an accessibility feature when uploading a photo to Google Maps. “Such images with the accessibility icon stand out and prove to be of immense help to those who are looking for accessibility features at a place of interest,” he said.
Asongfac Lily Rospeen from Cameroon
Asongfac Lily Rospeen, from the Southwest region of Cameroon, is another Local Guide making a difference through her contributions on Google Maps.
“My goal is to make sure my country and city, to start, are accessible in the most possible way,” she told us. “My way of contributing to Google Maps’ accessibility information is by adding photos and reviews with a focus on the specific aspects of a place that makes it accessible. I also organize meetups where I educate a group of volunteers on why accessibility contributions on Google Maps are important and then we go around searching for places that have ramps, to add on maps and also take photos of these features to add the already existing places.”
She also creates lists on Google Maps like Accessibility Buea which highlights places in her area that have wheelchair-accessible amenities including banks, hotels, hospitals, bookshops, pharmacies, and supermarkets.
If you want to get more active with accessibility contributions like these five Local Guides, here are some ways both Local Guides and business owners can make the Map more accessible:
- Create a template or accessibility checklist for your reviews on Google Maps
- Add accessibility attributes (like the existing wheelchair accessible attribute and the new hearing loop attribute) to your place page if you manage a business
- Business owners can also turn on tools like Live Transcribe, Live Caption, and TalkBack
Local Guides, we’d love to hear from you about how you make the Map more accessible. Do you have any tips to share with fellow Local Guides? Let us know in the comments below.
and cheers 
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