Yandex Maps will become more accessible: the service collects data on ramps, elevators and more

Yandex.Maps developers are actively upgrading their product, adding more and more new interesting features that make a person’s life easier and more comfortable. For example, in early February, the service learned to more accurately calculate the time of a trip, taking into account the workload of intersections, and last year the company taught Maps to deliver food directly to the car. Now, the authors of the project have decided to work on improving the quality of life of people with disabilities (and not only) – for this, the service collects data to detail information about accessibility in various institutions.

Today, July 6, a new tool appeared in Yandex.Maps that allows any user to add missing information about accessibility for people with disabilities to a specific organization, public institution, cafe, restaurant, shopping center, and so on. To do this, just go to the appropriate menu in the mobile application or web version, specify the necessary data and attach photos. The company is confident that this information will be in great demand for those who, for certain reasons, cannot move along ordinary steps or escalators.

For example, users in the application can specify information about the presence of a ramp at the entrance to a cafe or restaurant, report the presence of a specialized restroom in a shopping center or cinema, add photos of how the ramp looks exactly or how steep the ride is. Adding the necessary information takes no more than a minute, while people who really care about this data can significantly save time when traveling or planning their entertainment program.

“Different people have different abilities. What suits one may be uncomfortable for another. It seems to us wrong to decide for a person whether this place is available to him or not. Taken together, these data help to make an informed decision: for example, I can come here myself, and here if a friend helps,” Felix Kagan, head of the Yandex.Maps product team

In order to add the necessary information, the user needs to find the organization’s card in the maps, click on the “Fix inaccuracy” item and go to the “Accessibility” section. All accessibility parameters are indicated there – a character call button, a ramp, an automatic door, an elevator, and so on. Yandex said that they were collecting information on their own, but the audience’s help would clearly speed up the process.

Source: Trash Box

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