Editor's Note: The following article was provided to AccessWorld by Google Accessibility. We thank Google for allowing us to republish this piece. The article highlights accessibility enhancements across a wide range of Google products for people who are blind or have low vision. We hope you find it both enjoyable and informative.
Q3 brought exciting accessibility updates to Google products! The highlights below focus on features for people who are blind or have low vision. Feel free to share them with your community!
Want updates on accessibility for other disability groups? Subscribe to the Google Accessibility Newsletter: g.co/a11y/news
The latest episode of "What's new in Google accessibility" is here! Get the scoop on exciting accessibility updates across our products, including Workspace, Maps, Android, Chrome + Chromebooks and more.
Don't miss out and please share this episode with anyone who might be interested. If you missed the previous episodes you can find them on the “What’s new in Google accessibility” playlist "What’s new in Google accessibility".
General updates
-
The latest episode of "What's new in Google accessibility" is here! Get the scoop on exciting accessibility updates across our products, including Workspace, Maps, Android, Chrome + Chromebooks and more.
Don't miss out and please share this episode with anyone who might be interested. If you missed the previous episodes you can find them on the “What’s new in Google accessibility” playlist "What’s new in Google accessibility".
-
Exciting updates for Google Disability Support! Our disability support specialists are here to help users with disabilities with Google products, including accessibility features, functionalities, and assistive technologies. We offer support via phone, email, chat, Be My Eyes and ASL and we're happy to announce that US-based users can now call +1 (650) 417-9257 (toll-free) between 4 AM and 7 PM PT to connect directly with a specialist.
We've also made it simpler for TalkBack users to get support with Google products. TalkBack users can now find a "Contact Disability Support" link right in their TalkBack settings! Our team is here to answer your questions and help with any accessibility issues, whether about TalkBack or other Google products.
Pixel
-
Pixel's Guided Frame Gets Even Better. Guided Frame, built with and for people with blindness or low vision, lets you take great photos and selfies with your Pixel Camera. And it just got upgraded!
The latest Guided Frame update on Pixel phones brings exciting improvements: -
Improved AI object recognition, for example It can now prioritize the
main object identified by the user, like a person or a product, while
minimizing other distracting elements.
-
Intelligent face filtering in group photos, for example when taking a
group photo, people walking by will not interrupt the auto-capture, thanks
to intelligent face filtering.
-
Better focus on subjects even in complex scenes.
-
Low light reminder for a better shot.
-
Easier access: you can also turn the feature on right from the camera
settings, making it even easier for those who don’t use screen readers.
-
Pixel's Magnifier app, co-designed with the low-vision community, just got smarter with AI. Now you can: -
Search for specific words in your surroundings, which can be very
useful when searching for words on menus, airport boards, and more.
-
Use picture-in-picture to zoom in on details without losing context.
-
Choose the best lens for each situation - macro for close-ups,
wide-angle for the big picture.
-
Turn on Selfie Illumination for a well-lit mirror experience.
Check the recently launched video: Get to know the newly updated Magnifier app on Pixel.
Android
-
Hear detailed audio descriptions of images — now powered by Gemini. Android's TalkBack screen reader just got a major upgrade! Now, with the power of Google's Gemini models, you'll hear even more detailed and informative audio descriptions of images across your device. Whether you're browsing online, checking your photos, or scrolling through social media, TalkBack can help like never before.
Chromebook / ChromeOS / Chrome
-
ChromeOS' Select-to-Speak now includes AI-powered OCR (object character recognition), enabling text-to-speech for inaccessible or scanned PDFs directly in the Chrome PDF viewer. This bridges a major accessibility gap across the web, making more content available to everyone.
-
Chromebook users can now take advantage of Read Aloud, a feature that converts web content into audio. This can be a game-changer for individuals with reading challenges like dyslexia, ADHD, and SLD, and other learning disabilities.
Workspace
-
New Workspace Help Center Articles - For Workspace screen reader and keyboard users, we recently published 5 new help center articles about navigating apps like Chat, Docs, and Drive, and ways to take advantage of collaboration and editing features. These can be found at link g.co/workspace/accessibility.
-
Embedded calendars refresh. You’ll now notice a refreshed look and feel for embedded calendars that is in line with Google Material Design 3 and now includes: -
Enhanced accessibility features, such as the ability to use an
embedded calendar with a [screen reader](https://support.google.com/accessibility/answer/6101541?hl=3Den) and
keyboard shortcuts to navigate more easily.
-
Improved spacing to make text easier to read.
-
A responsive layout that adapts to different sizes seamlessly
Payments
- Guided instructions when saving an ID in Google Wallet. We recently released an update to Google Wallet that makes it easier for blind and low vision users to save their state-issued ID to Wallet. Screen reader users will now receive verbal directions on how to position the phone camera to take a clear image of their ID, as well as audio and haptic feedback, in real time.
