On May 30, 2025, at 10:00 PM CDT , we had a virtual meetup to celebrate Accessibility Champion @MahabubMunna and discuss the vital topic of accessibility during Accessibility Awareness Month. The event commenced precisely as scheduled, drawing a diverse audience of 40 participants . The majority of attendees hailed from Bangladesh , with additional participants joining from Japan, India and Brazil . Our esteemed guest speaker, Connect Moderator @Jesi joined us all the way from Argentina .
The core of the discussion revolved around accessibility, a fitting topic for May, which is dedicated to accessibility awareness. The meetup began with heartfelt congratulations to Mahabub for his recent and well-deserved recognition as an Accessibility Champion . Mahabub shared his journey, explaining that his contributions to accessibility on Google Maps began in 2016 . He passionately underscored the critical need for local awareness in Bangladesh, noting that many places still lack accessible infrastructure. Mahabub highlighted that some business owners are either unaware of the importance of accessibility or, regrettably, choose to be ignorant or indifferent. He expressed optimism that through combined efforts, more places could be made accessible and extended an invitation to Bangladeshi Local Guides to step forward and assist people with disabilities within their communities.
Our guest speaker, Connect Moderator Jesi , then shared her valuable insights on the significance of accessibility. As a dedicated member of the One Accessibility team , she articulated the core motive and objectives of their campaign. We were particularly grateful for Jesi’s presence, as she joined the meeting despite it being midnight in her time zone. All participants extended their sincere thanks to her for her commitment and participation at such a late hour.
Towards the end of the meetup, other Local Guides expressed their profound appreciation for both Mahabub and Jesi. They acknowledged their continuous, inspiring contributions to the community and their role in motivating others to engage in accessibility efforts. The successful meetup concluded at 11:00 PM CDT , marked by a collective virtual photoshoot, you can check those out here.
It was a nice interactive session with you @SoniaK Apu, @Jesi
Congratulations @MahabubMunna
Learned many of the aspects as we would be a more aware about accessibility and more passionate local guide. As a human Being we should be empathetic and contribute more. Thank you @SoniaK Apu for arranging the session.
I was looking forward to this meeting I am sad I missed it @SoniaK despite of my sadness I would like to congratulate @MahabubMunna. Lets keep this planet be more accessible for everyone!!!
Thank you @SoniaK for the meet up recap and sharing the photograph. I can see myself in the top left corner of the image!
The meetup was great—thanks so much for hosting it.
Special thanks to @MahabubMunna and @Jesi ,It was my first time attending a live conversation with her, and I found it really interesting that she lives on the opposite side of the globe (Argentina) from me—just like you, since you’re in Dallas—while I was sitting here in Kolkata, India.
Thanks also to the other Local Guides who participated in this virtual meetup. Wishing you all the very best on your Local Guides journey. Keep up the great work!
First of thank you @SoniaK & @ Jesi . This is my first online meetup. By participating in it,I have realized many important comments about wheelchair accessibility ,which has also inspired me to work on wheelchair accessibility later, thank you to those who joined the online meetup.
I missed this somehow due to some unavoidable circumstances.
However, my Kudos to @MahabubMunna for his inspiring journey and well-deserved recognition, and heartfelt thanks to @Jesi for joining despite the time difference. Your dedication truly motivates us to do more for accessibility.
Congratulations to Mahubab. I am sorry I couldn’t make it despite all my efforts. It’s great to see the meet-up focused on sharing accessibility information and helping to create awareness. Keep it up @SoniaK
It was wonderful seeing you too @Trishatishu and know your views about accessibility!
Thank you for joining us.
P.S.: This is funny that every time I see your name my mind makes me read the name as Tiramisu, instead of Trisha Tishu. I guess I am too much in love with Tiramisu. Can’t help it.
That’s the beauty of internet, @DrShaunak, the world is continuously getting smaller, within our reach, while we are thousands of miles away physically.
Thank you for joining us for the meetup. It was nice seeing you after a long time.
Thank you @EmekaUlor. Don’t be sorry for not being able to join us. It was 3 o’clock in the morning for you. While your presence would be the icing on the cake, but I wouldn’t want you to be sleep deprived either. Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you @SoniaK Apu for organizing this meetup. It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this meetup. It is the pride of our Bangladesh, @MahabubMunna Bhai, to be the Accessibility Champion.
