Hy Local Guides,
Accessibility in Google Maps has been updated to help people in need. For various methods (like through reviews,edit feature), we have been updating each place with the Accessibility feature the authority provides. In this post, I will talk about what are the types of Accessibility, New Keywords you can use in Reviews and Accessible LGBTQ+ friendly environment.
What is Accessibility?
Accessibility points to the designs/installations of products, services and environment to people (inclusively) to achieve equal access and opportunity.
Types of Accessibility.
- Motor - refers to Persons having physical disability or is a wheelchair user who needs that Accessibility.
- Visual - refers to Persons having blindness or low-vision who needs that Accessibility.
- Auditory - refers to Persons having deafness or hearing loss or use any hearing aids or use sign language who needs that Accessibility.
- Cognitive - refers to Persons with cognitive disability which affects a person’s ability to process informations who needs that Accessibility.
- Assistive Technology - used in devices to help in read and listen. Visual and Auditory Accessibility can be included in this. Types of Assistive Technology is :
1. Text to speech and vice
versa.
2. Speech recognition.
3. Screen Reader.
New Keywords!
- Wheelchair Friendly
- refers to whether a business has a space for wheelchair users to move around. - Tactile Paving
- refers to a yellow pathway which guides persons with visual disability! - Age-friendly - refers to a business having their entrance, seatings, tables and bathrooms accessible for aged persons. Thank you @TravellerG for coming up with this and to know more about age-friendly, please check out his post.
- Pet-friendly
- Actually Pet-friendly is not new keyword. In Accessibility, persons with blindness/have low vision use Guiding Dogs. - Accessible LGBTQ+ friendly - refers to business having more than two or three Accessibilities (mainly motor and visual) and is LGBTQ+ friendly environment.
You can use this keywords in your reviews.
For example if a business provides pets to enter : Pet Friendly
If a business is not allowing any pets to enter : Pet friendly
Contributions to Auditory and Cognitive Accessibility.
- For Auditory Accessibility, there’s a option called Assistive Hearing Loop in the Edit Feature of a buisness profile. You can also contribute to Auditory by adding by menu boards/sign boards for any businesses to Maps. People in need can read what’s in the board than to ask the business!
- For Cognitive Accessibility, we can include motor Accessibility with it. This is when wheelchair friendly comes in help, as persons with cognitive disability needs space to move around freely.
You can add above mentioned keywords along with Wheelchair Accessible entrance, seatings, bathrooms/toilets and parkings in reviews. Check out this blog featuring @TusharSuradkar on how he reviews Accessibility.
Updates on Accessibility
- In city, wheelchair ramps are designed/made an update to status where every perons with Disabilities can move through it. For example : groved ramp / slight inclined groves can help for wheelchair users, aged persons, persons who use need Cognitive Accessibility, visual accessibility, etc .
You can see each small inclination of each section of slaps in the above image.
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Now visual and wheelchair Accessibility is fully/partially updated in city and in India. Most tourist places has already done it.
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If you know any places which provides Assistive Hearing Loop feature, please share in the comments!
Accessibility in Public transit
As shown in energy saving week post, Now we can add accessibility features of public transit. You can see this when you navigate and use in public transit. In public transit, each vehicle shows this featured to add in.
From February, there is going to be LGBTQ+ (Pride) March worldwide starting from February 14th in Sydney. Look into Sydney World Pride March 2023 by @PennyChristie .
Thanks to the Local Guides Team for giving out the keyword “Accessible LGBTQ+ Friendly” in a recent Accessibility Champion post! I think it would be helpful to collaborate two important features in one go!
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