Newsletter
Google has announced new accessibility features for Maps, Search, Assistant, Chrome, and more products. The company is pushing updates to these apps with features that help people with disabilities accomplish daily tasks faster and easier. They make tasks like taking selfies, getting walking directions on Maps, and searching the web more accessible.
Google Maps and Search now show disabled-own businesses
The latest round of accessibility updates for Google products starts with a new attribute for businesses on Maps and Search. Merchants can now identify as disabled-owned in their business profile, which could make people with disabilities more comfortable. The new icon appears alongside the existing business attributes on Maps and Search, which include Asian-owned, Black-owned, Latino-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned.
Google is also making Search with Live View on Maps more accessible and useful for people who have vision disabilities. It’s adding screen reader capabilities to the feature, which uses AI and AR (augmented reality) to help users find points of interest such as ATMs and restaurants in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Your phone’s camera will assist you to orient with the map and guide you to the location with directions and distance.
The addition of screen reader capabilities gives auditory feedback to people who are blind or low-vision. Google Maps will tell users the name and category of a place around them and the live distance to it. All you have to do is “tap the camera icon in the search bar and lift your phone.” This feature is rolling out to the iOS version of Maps today, with Android support coming later this year.
Wheelchair-accessible information for more places
Google Maps already lets users avoid stairs and take elevators or wheelchair-accessible navigation options when getting transit directions. The company is now expanding this to walking routes as well. If you have enabled the feature, Maps will now show stair-free routes whenever possible. This feature is rolling out globally on iOS and Android. You can enable it from route options under the three dots menu when searching directions.
Along with people who use wheelchairs, this feature is also useful for strollers and people traveling with luggage. To maximize its impact, Google is expanding it to more products. On top of Maps for Android and iOS, wheelchair-accessible places are now also available on Maps for Android Auto and the open-source Android Automotive OS. You can easily check if a place has a stair-free entrance, accessible restrooms, parking, and seating options.
New customization options for Assistant routines and more
The latest accessibility updates for Google products also bring new customization features to Assistant routines. You can use Action Blocks to select a shortcut style for your routine, customize it with your own images, and adjust its size on your home screen. According to the company, these kinds of personalization features “can be particularly helpful for people with cognitive differences and disabilities.”
Google Chrome’s automatic typo correction feature is now available on Android and iOS. Added to the desktop version of the browser app earlier this year, the feature shows you suggested websites if you misspell a URL in the address bar. Google says it will help people with dyslexia, though language learners or anyone who makes typos when entering URLs will also benefit from it.
New Magnifier app for Pixel phones
Google has made a new Magnifier app for Pixel phones. It uses the phone’s camera to let the low-vision community zoom in on something to see it better. Developed in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the National Federation of the Blind, the app helps people read small text, view street signs at a distance, and more. The ability to adjust controls, brightness, and contrast further improves the legibility of text.
The Magnifier app is available on the Google Play Store for Pixel 5 and newer models. Users with a Pixel 6 or newer phone, meanwhile, are getting improvements to Guided Frame, a feature that helps the low-vision community take better pictures with audio cues, high-contrast animations, and haptic (tactile) feedback. It can now recognize more than just human faces and works with front and rear cameras.
Google says the new accessibility features are just part of its everlasting efforts to make its products more accessible to everyone. “We remain committed to building products with and for people with disabilities and hope these new features are helpful for the community,” the company said. You can expect to receive the new features within the next few days, Make sure to keep Maps, Search, Assistant, Chrome, and other Google apps updated.
