Just when you thought that Google Maps doesn’t have anything else to improve on, here comes Google employees working on something that will make it more useful for people with disabilities. It sounds like a noble project but these people simple thought of a need and then acted on it. Those with access needs can benefit from the Google Maps as such will soon be available with wheelchair-friendly directions.
The search giant usually allows employees to spend 20% of their office hours to work on special projects that may not be related to their jobs. It’s something like the Microsoft Garage Project but with Google, we’ve seen a few that have started as side projects but made it to full launch like Google News, AdSense, and Gmail.com.
It’s not as easy today for Google employees to do that because they’re also busy in their respective jobs but they can get permission from their HR. Rio Akasaka took this opportunity to work on new accessibility features for the Google Maps. Akasaka is Google Drive’s product manager so he’s got a huge responsibility within the company. He has a whole team of contributors that started working on accessibility guidelines to Google Maps. Those with access needs can soon see places where they can conveniently access from a wheelchair.
Akasaka 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.”
VIA: Business Insider
