Google Maps is now wheelchair-friendly. It's a famous policy of the Californian search giant: Employees can spend 20% of their time working on other projects unrelated to their main jobs. Gmail, AdSense, and Google News all started as 20% projects. These days, Google employees need to get permission from managers to get this time, and most don't do it. Google HR boss Lazlo Bock says it has "waxed and waned" over time. But some still do - and Rio Akasaka is one of them.
By day, Akasaka is a product manager on Google Drive, the cloud file-hosting service. But in his 20 percent time, the Boulder, Colorado resident is a product manager working on accessibility features for Google Maps, says The Independent. It looks like a small change - but if you're in a wheelchair, it's a pretty important one. The feature won't just help people in wheelchairs, either.
According to The Next Web, you'll be able to find wheelchair accessibility information under the Amenities section when looking up any establishment in Maps, and you can also add your own findings on the same screen. Alternatively, you can head into the 'Your contributions' section in Maps' menu on Web and mobile to answer questions about places you've been.
The service sources this information from its human Local Guides, who answer questions about the places they visit, indicating things like average cost and parking. Google told Business Insider that its database of responses has now run into the millions, and so it's confident about including these results on its listings in Maps.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
