TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Google Maps to indicate accessible places for disabled
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
G
oogle has announced the deployment of a particularly useful functionality in its web mapping service, which will make it much easier for wheelchair users to see accessibility information.
The new feature is very easy to use. Once the “Accessible Places” option is activated in the mobile application’s settings, Google Maps will display wheelchair icons to indicate locations with disabled access. Clicking on the icon will bring up further information about accessible seating, toilets and parking.
Read also: Social initiative helps disabled travelers get home safely for Christmas
Google already has information on wheelchair accessibility for more than 15 million locations around the world, mainly thanks to the participation of contributing Internet users, and it is this information that can now be permanently displayed in Maps. It should be noted that anyone can contribute information on disabled access to the service directly from an Android or iOS smartphone.
To take advantage of the new functionality, download the latest version of Google Maps, go to settings, accessibility, and activate “Accessible Places.” The new feature is rolled out for both Android and iOS in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other countries will soon follow.
According to Google, almost 130 million people worldwide rely on wheelchairs to get around.
