The US Internet services giant Google has added a new feature to the Google Maps digital map service to provide more detailed audible guidance to visually impaired and blind users. Users can also receive new types of audio ads as they walk.
The new feature will make Google Maps tell the user that it is on the right path and the remaining distance to the next deviation point, and the direction in which the user will go. Audible instructions from Google Maps will also help the user cross the street with an additional warning when approaching large intersections. When the user exits the right path, Google Maps will step in and redirect to the right path.
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To activate the new feature, the user will need to access the Google Map settings menu and select “Navigation”. At the end of the “Navigation” menu, there is a “Detailed Audio Help” option under the “Traffic Options” menu.
The World Health Organization says some 2.2 billion people around the world suffer from low vision or blindness. The new feature helps blind or visually impaired people reach new places, said Wokana Sugiyama, an economic analyst at Google’s Tokyo office, a Google Maps project adviser.
“Continuous updates to such features not only help people with problems looking to move from point A to point B, but they can also give us more confidence and confidence when we travel alone,” Sugiyama said.
