In advance of Disability Pride Month in July, Yelp has announced today that it’s launching a series of features to help individuals with disabilities connect with local businesses. These accessibility features include more tags and attributes in business listings, AI-powered alt text for photos, and a resource hub for SMBs.
Altogether these moves accommodate individuals with challenges and disabilities and make it easier for them to use Yelp. Moreover, it helps these individuals with an informational resource about local businesses that can accommodate and support their specific needs, in terms of accessibility.
Going beyond traditional indicators like “wheelchair accessible,” Yelp now accommodates wider range. For example, it identifies eco-friendly businesses attributes to identify local businesses that support environmental sustainability. Businesses can also specify things like gender-neutral restrooms.
“To help people discover and connect with great local businesses it’s important that they can determine if those businesses will accommodate their needs, especially when it comes to accessibility. Yelp SVP of Product Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh told Localogy Insider. “With these new accessibility attributes, we’re excited to help businesses more clearly indicate their inclusive practices to make it even easier for people to find the right business for them.”
The Particulars
Going deeper into the particulars of these new business attributes, here’s the full list, provided to us by Yelp.
Mobility Accessibility Attributes
- Accessible parking near entrance: These businesses must have accessible parking spaces, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), that allow individuals with mobility disabilities to easily access the business without needing to go a significant distance.
- ADA-compliant main entrance: According to ADA standards, these businesses must have a ramp, elevators, or no steps/stairs at their entrance, as well as a door with a clear opening width of at least 32 inches when the door is opened to 90 degrees.
- ADA-compliant restroom: As defined by the ADA, restrooms at these businesses must have an accessible path, grab bars, turning space of at least 60 inches in diameter, and dispensers that don’t exceed a maximum height of 48 inches.
- No steps or stairs: These businesses do not have steps or stairs at their entrance or inside the business itself.
Hearing Accessibility Attributes
- ASL proficient: These businesses have at least one staff member who is ASL proficient and available to customers during their hours of operation.
- Closed captioning on TVs: These restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses provide closed captioning on at least one TV in their establishment.
Vision Accessibility Attributes
- Braille menus available: These restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses provide Braille menus to customers upon request.
- QR code menus available: These restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses offer diners the option to use a QR code to access their menus. This enables people with visual impairments to access information from their devices, allowing them to enlarge content or use assistive technologies like screen readers.
Attributes & Indicators
To find all the above attributes and indicators, users can search on Yelp using terms like “Wheelchair accessible,” “ASL proficient,” “Braille menus,” and “QR code menus.” In addition to these terms joining Yelp’s search index, they can be found directly on business pages under a new “accessibility” section.
Beyond a more robust taxonomy of accessibility attributes, Yelp is rolling out AI-powered alt text for photos to improve the experience for people using screen readers. It has also launched the Accessibility Resource Hub – a business-facing resource to help manage their accessibility efforts.
Altogether, this move addresses 42 million Americans with disabilities. And to help identify local businesses that meet certain conditions, Yelp is working closely with disability advocate groups such as Disability:IN, the American Association of People with Disabilities(AAPD), Open to All, and The Arc.
“Making Yelp and the world more accessible makes daily life easier for everyone, said Ramesh, “and we look forward to continuing our work to create a more accessible and inclusive world for everyone.”
