Hi everyone! What a fantastic time we had at our accessibility-focused meet-up last month! I was especially inspired by our discussion points during our conversation about making our city more accessible. It’s a late post, but as the wise man said: better late than never! 
This was a particularly special meetup for me, as it was back-to-back with @indahnuria meetup at the end of the year 
It was truly inspiring to see such passionate Local Guides come together to discuss accessibility and Google Maps with members of the disability community!
- Venue: Sunyi Cafe Bekasi - Part of Sunyi Cafe group, the unique cafe that employs people with hearing impairments, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for both employees and customers.
Sunyi Cafe Bekasi
I hosted a virtual meet-up with the founder of this cafe in 2020. You can find the recap here Meet Up Accessibility 2020 - Attendees:
• In-person: Local Guides from various cities, their families, and friends with disabilities.
• Online: Local Guides from different cities.
IG post by Sunyi Bekasi
Meet Up at Cafe Sunyi Bekasi
I kicked off our meet-up with an introduction to the Local Guides program, emphasizing our commitment to accessibility. This really resonated with the participants (who weren’t Local Guides!), and we had a great conversation about how we can all contribute to making our community more accessible.
Talk Show
The heart of the event was a talk show featuring Dian, Arya, and Amanda, who generously shared their first-hand experiences with disabilities.
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DIAN, who has low vision, shared her experiences of living with a disability that wasn’t apparent until later in life. Despite having a special badge, she faces daily hurdles like navigating public transportation, as many people don’t recognize low vision as a disability, particularly because it’s not always immediately apparent. Dian, who is active in the Disability community and runs a small business selling bottled coffee, emphasized the need for greater public understanding and improved infrastructure based on her own experiences. Dian shared the latest named type of disabilities. This includes basic needs like Braille buttons in public facilities and guided blocks, which are often lacking. As a Google Maps user, she highlighted the limited accessibility information currently available in reviews.
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ARYA, who uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury, shared his inspiring journey. Before his accident, he was an active participant in the Mr and Mrs Banten Region pageant, and adapting to life with a disability presented initial challenges. However, he has thrived, returning to work (where he’s been for 10 years!) and even driving a modified car. Like many, Arya relies on Google Maps to find information about places like restaurants. He emphasized how crucial it is for Local Guides to contribute accurate accessibility information, ensuring that wheelchair icons and other details are reliable, as these details directly impact his ability to navigate the world. He shared an example of finding a restaurant marked with a wheelchair icon in Google Maps that turned out to be inaccessible, highlighting the ongoing need for accurate information, especially since accessible public facilities are often limited to city centers.
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AMANDA @amandaandono, a working mother, an activist, and co-founder of the Association Breastfeeding Mom (AIMI - Asosiasi Ibu Menyusui Indonesia), shared her personal experiences navigating the world with her daughter, who has Down syndrome. Driven to ensure her daughter’s equal access, Amanda who is also a Local Guide includes accessibility information in her Google Maps reviews. She pointed out that challenges persist even when accessibility features are present, such as in city centers, citing instances of misused facilities for example: parking spots for wheelchairs occupied by non-wheelchair users and a lack of interconnected accessibility features in public spaces. People’s surprised reactions to her daughter highlight the need to normalize disability and challenge assumptions about what is ‘normal.’ Amanda’s experiences have fueled her passion for advocating for greater empathy and understanding towards people with disabilities.
We had an eye-opening discussion about the terminology surrounding disabilities. It was interesting to learn that many people still use outdated language. Dian highlighted the importance of using respectful language and provided us with the latest guidance from the National Disability Committee of the Republic of Indonesia. This information was really helpful in raising awareness about the importance of using appropriate language when discussing disabilities.
CHIKO, a wheelchair user who also attended the meetup, shared a similar frustrating experience. He recounted how, at one of the big malls in Jakarta, a security guard insisted that the accessible parking spaces were reserved for ‘special vehicles,’ completely dismissing Chiko’s needs. This kind of misunderstanding, Chiko explained, is all too common. Public facility staff often lack an understanding of accessibility features, particularly regarding features like wheelchair-accessible parking, creating significant barriers and frustration for people with disabilities. These shared experiences underscore the urgency of Amanda’s advocacy work and the need for greater education and awareness.
The discussion highlighted several crucial points:
- Accurate Information: Accurate accessibility information on Google Maps is essential for people with disabilities.
- Value of Videos: Videos in reviews are beneficial for providing detailed accessibility information.
- User Perspective: The speakers’ perspectives emphasized the importance of Local Guides’ contributions to accessibility information.
- Call for More Accessibility Reviews: We encouraged Local Guides to go beyond reviews of food and drinks and focus on accessibility features.
In the discussions, several Local Guides shared valuable insights:
- Indah: Highlighted the gap between accessibility regulations and implementation in Indonesia.
- Firdaus: As a teacher in an inclusive school, Firdaus emphasized the diversity of disabilities.
- Iskandar: Expressed appreciation for the session and urged participants to take action.
Tips for Writing Google Maps Reviews:
To empower everyone to contribute to accessibility information, we concluded with these key tips for writing effective Google Maps reviews:
- Be Fair: Provide honest ratings. If accessibility features are lacking, consider giving a lower star rating and explaining why in our review.
- Detailed Descriptions: Include specific details about accessibility features, such as ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, seating options, braille buttons, guided blocks, etc. The more information, the better!
- Use Icons: Use relevant icons to draw attention to key accessibility features in the review.
- Highlight Inaccessibility: If accessibility features are NOT available, use CAPITAL letters or bold text to highlight this in the review.
- Be Respectful: Maintain a positive and constructive tone in our reviews, focusing on factual information and helpful suggestions.
- Everyone can play a part in making information more accessible! We don’t have to be an accessibility expert to include these details in your Google Maps reviews. Every contribution helps create a more inclusive experience for all
A Fun Fact and a Warm Welcome :
It turned out that both Dian @Dian_29 and Arya @Arya20, were Local Guides at the time , they already contributing to Google Maps by writing reviews! Then, I encouraged them to join the Local Guides Connect community (and joined already , and I’m thrilled to welcome them aboard 
I hope this meetup helped to:
- Raise awareness about the importance of accessibility information in Google Maps.
- Provide a platform for people with disabilities to share their experiences.
- Empower Local Guides to contribute more actively to accessibility information.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in this meaningful event that I cannot mention one by one. I’m already looking forward to hosting more meetups in the future!
A huge thank you to @indahnuria @360bymiftah and @RahmatHarmanP for the collaboration and their amazing logistical support in making this meet-up happen!
We were also thrilled to have @PaDeSSo join us from Bandung! Hatur Nuhun paaaak for the wonderful pins too !
And of course, thank you to everyone who attended offline and online and contributed to such a fantastic discussion, including @RivaniRahmadani, @Ddimitra, @Radjasitanggang, @NunungAfuah @NyaiNurjanah @Ratri @Shrut19 everyone else! It was wonderful to connect with you all.
Link photo, please feel free to drop your photo here
Meet-Up photo link
Let’s make the world more accessible, together! One step at a time.
Thanks for sharing kak 
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