To commemorate World Sight Day (September 10), Google unveiled a new feature on Google Maps to aid visually impaired people. The feature, Detailed Voice Guidance, is particularly helpful to visually impaired people moving on foot. It can also be used to reassure people with sight and those who would rather have their hands free to use for other things.
According to Wakana SugiyamaBusiness Analyst, Online Partnerships Group for Google in a blog post, ” As a legally blind woman living in Tokyo, I know that getting around unfamiliar environments can be a challenge. I can easily commute from my front door to my desk at work; it’s a trip I take regularly and know well. But going some place new and unfamiliar can be an intimidating experience without sight to guide you.”
“This feature is the first in Google Maps to be built from the ground up by, and for, people with vision impairments. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with the Maps team on this project as an early advisor and tester—outside of my day job as a business analyst in the Tokyo office.”
“With this feature, I can navigate the streets of Tokyo with more comfort and confidence. As I take my journey, Google Maps proactively lets me know that I’m on the correct route, the distance until my next turn and the direction I’m walking in. As I approach large intersections, I get a heads-up to cross with added caution. And if I accidentally leave my route, I’ll get a spoken notification that I’m being re-routed.”
“Frequent updates like these not only help a visually impaired person get from A to B, they can also give us more confidence and reassurance when we travel alone. With detailed voice guidance in Google Maps, my journey fades into the background and I can focus more on what I’ll do at my final destination. This may not sound extraordinary to those with sight, but for people who are blind or have low vision, this can help us explore new and unfamiliar places. “
“While this new feature can be enormously helpful to people with visual impairments, it can also help someone who wants a more screen-free experience on their next walking trip. Similar to the announcements you might hear at crosswalks or on a bus, everyone can benefit from it. Not everyone will need this level of assistance, but it’s great to know it’s available and only a tap away. “
“Detailed voice guidance directions are based on the same digital map of the world as our other directions, but we’ve re-tuned them to be optimized for users with vision impairment,” said Bill Steinmetz, a software engineer at Google Maps.
To turn the feature on, users can go to the Google Maps settings and select “Navigation.” At the bottom of the list will be the option to enable “Detailed voice guidance,” beneath the “Walking options” heading.
This feature is now available on iOS and Android to people in Japan and US for now. Support for other languages and in other countries will be available soon.
