Google to Start Mapping for Greater User Accessibility

Recently, Google announced that it will crowdsource data from its 30 million local guides worldwide.  The company is calling on these guides to answer five simple questions—like whether a building has accessible entrances or bathrooms—when they submit a review for a location. In the coming weeks, Google will host workshops and “geowalks” specifically focused on mobility across seven cities, from New York City and London to Tokyo and Surabaya, Indonesia.

But as simple as the questions seem—Is there wheelchair-accessible seating? or Is there a wheelchair-accessible elevator?—answering them requires careful attention to detail. That’s why Google even sent out a  nifty tip sheet to help its physically abled members answer those questions. “It’s thinking beyond that just because there's an elevator, it's accessible,” says Becky Curran, a disability rights advocate and a local guide.  Want to become a Local Guide and contribute to this effort?  Learn more here.