Google has rolled out a new maps feature (https://bit.ly/37RAtS5) to help people more easily locate wheelchair-accessible buildings.
By turning on “Accessible Places,” people can find accessibility information prominently displayed on a Google Map.
The feature is touted as “know before you go,” eliminating the frustrating experience of arriving at a place and being stranded outside because the facility lacks accessible features.
In addition to indicating whether a facility’s entrance is accessible, Google map users also can determine whether there’s accessible parking, restrooms, and seating.
If a building lacks an accessible entrance, that will be indicated on the map too.
Such a feature not only helps the 130 million people around the globe who use wheelchairs, but also anyone needing easier accessibility – parents using strollers, a teenage recovering from knee surgery, or someone using a walker.
Right now there’s accessibility information on more than 15 million places, and the feature is available in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The expectation is that additional countries will be added.
If you have a business or you visit one, you can add or update the information about the building’s accessibility.