2022
Local Guide Joseph Dewey (@JosephDewey) is passionate about making the map more accessible for everyone. To do his part, he’s held an accessibility meetup in Bangkok, included helpful accessibility information in his reviews, and has written about the importance of accessibility in posts on Connect. Joseph also interviewed a friend who uses a wheelchair about his thoughts on accessibility in a video on his YouTube channel.
We recently caught up with Joseph to learn more about his commitment to helping others with accessibility needs on Google Maps.
Why are you passionate about accessibility information being shown on Google Maps?
I’m passionate for a lot of reasons.
First, I have cluttering, which is a speech disorder. For a few years as a kid, I really didn’t say anything, like maybe less than 100 words a year, at the height of me not saying anything. And I didn’t really learn how to speak normally until I was about 33. At that point in my life, a whole bunch of stuff opened up to me. So, for most of my life, speech wasn’t something that I looked at as a first or even second option when interacting or navigating. That gave me an appreciation for everyone else who doesn’t have the same options as other people usually do.
Second, [something that I learned] from [inventor and Googler] Ray Kurzweil, which is that if you improve things for people with accessibility concerns, that you improve things for everybody. I don’t know the exact quote, but his message really inspired me.
My mom was a single mom with seven kids, and we didn’t have Google Maps back then, but something that I always picture is a parent like my mom with a lot of kids, and one or two in strollers. That person like my mom isn’t in a wheelchair, but information that’s really beneficial to the person in a wheelchair will also be extremely beneficial for a parent like that. Or, maybe I sprain my ankle, and all of a sudden, I become really interested in looking at the entrance ramps for every establishment that I visit, for a 1-2 week period. There are lots of other examples where providing accessibility information can be really beneficial for other people.
Third, I really like doing things that help other people, and Google Maps is a great way to do that.
What area (mobility, vision, hearing, etc.) are you most interested in improving?
I’m interested in improving all areas. I could be in a business for 30 minutes—shopping or eating—and contribute to that business’s Google Maps listing about accessibility, in that timeframe. So, probably mostly mobility at this point, because the best way to do that now is through pictures and video.
However, one of my lifelong goals is to design a USB “texting stick.” It would be a chorded keyboard that had six or seven buttons (one button for each finger, and 2-3 buttons for the thumb), and with that, you could enter all the letters and numbers… But, I’m waiting until I retire with a lot of extra money to start work on that idea. For now, I’m more focused on pictures with Google Maps.
What have you done to help add accessibility information or generate visibility for accessibility information on Google Maps?
At the Local Guides Summit 2017, I attended all the accessibility sessions, and that really started to change my approach. I upload as many photos as I can to Google Maps that gives good detail and can answer as many questions as possible.
What's your tip for finding your passion through the Local Guides program?
I believe that everyone likes helping other people. When I first started contributing to Google Maps, I just wanted to help myself. I made my contributions and edits, so I could find the cool places I liked later. After a while, I noticed local shop owners who didn’t use the internet much who were clueless about how to fix their business listings on Google Maps, and then my focus changed to helping local shop owners who couldn’t help themselves. Recently, I’ve been trying to make my contributions helpful to people who want accessibility information.
How are you helping to make the map more accessible? Tell us in the comments below!
Thank you for sharing this awesome article @Atsukot
And congrats champion @JosephDewey! We will follow you!!
JAPAN LOCAL GUIDES
So great to see you here @JosephDewey and read about your contributions. Keep up the great work. Thanks for featuring him @Atsukot.
Cheers.
