Google Maps Are Now Wheelchair Friendly: After Using 20% Of The Time

Google Maps has just made accessibility of wheelchair a lot easier.

So much like it sounds, people with disabilities and those who use mobility aids like wheelchairs or so, can now click on various storefronts and other public places to see if the place has an accessible entrance or for mobility aid users. The information will be listed under “Amenities” section for each business.

ALSO READ: Top Searched Keywords That Indians Searched On Google 2016!

Google’s 20% Of Time

Well to implement and get working in the app, Google employees used their “20 percent time” to create the feature. Though Google has allowed only 20 percent of the time (one day a week) of his employees to work on this project, the end result is really neat and helpful for disable people. That’s what Google is known for, isn’t it?

Rio Akasaka, a product manager for Google Drive said;

Accessibility at Google is a big deal, But it’s often facilitated by whether or not there’s a legal requirement, or some sort of requirement we need to adhere to.

Early this year, Google added questions which were related to accessibility to the Local Guides questionnaire. Nearly one in eight people in the US reported living with a mobility-related disability last year.

Wheelchair #a11y entrance information now available in @googlemaps! Sign up for #localguides to help gather more data! @googleaccess pic.twitter.com/EZ6OgXw3Rc

— Google Accessibility (@googleaccess) December 12, 2016

Wheelchair information might seem like a small addition to the Google Maps, but for people with disabilities, it will be a great help barring the fact that Google hasn’t released it globally.

Source