How Google has stepped up its efforts to makes its own tech more accessible to the disabled

“Designing products with disabilities in mind creates products that are better for everybody,” For example, captions aren’t just helpful for deaf people and even if you’re not visually impaired, high-contrast fonts are just easier to read.

Plus, disability shouldn’t be a matter of us versus them. Says Dmitri Belser, executive director at the Centre for Accessible Technology.

“It’s the one group we all join,” he added. “We all age, and so we’ll all get to be there at some point. “While most of Google’s accessibility efforts centre on making all its digital products work better for people with disabilities, Andersson believes that the big opportunity lies in finding ways to use Google technology to make the physical world more accessible.

In March, Google Maps introduced “wheelchair accessible” routes in transit navigation. While most of Google’s accessibility efforts centre on making all its digital products work better for people with disabilities, Andersson believes that the big opportunity lies in finding ways to use Google technology to make the physical world more accessible.

In March, Google Maps introduced “wheelchair accessible” routes in transit navigation.

“The possibilities are just wide open,” Andersson says. “With the advances that are happening now in AI and computer vision and internet of things, there is so much opportunity.”

In May, it previewed a forthcoming app called Lookout that uses a smartphone camera, computer vision, and natural language processing to give users real-time descriptions of the world around them.