Yelp is making it easier to find accessible businesses by adding new labels for ADA-compliant restrooms, entrances and more. It's also introducing AI-powered alternative text descriptions for photos, to help people who are blind or low-vision understand the context and details of a photo when using a screen reader.
The crowd-sourced reviews platform is adding eight new attributes to help customers find businesses that can accommodate certain mobility, hearing and vision accessibility needs. Now, along with the existing "wheelchair accessible" label, you'll find a tag for "accessible parking near entrance," "ADA-compliant main entrance," "ADA-compliant restroom" and "no steps or stairs."
On the hearing accessibility side, there'll now be labels for businesses with at least one staff member who is ASL proficient, as well as one for restaurants and nightlife businesses displaying closed captioning on at least one TV.
On the vision accessibility front, there are new attributes for restaurants and nightlife businesses with Braille menus, and for those who offer QR codes to access menus. QR code menus allow people who are blind or low-vision to access information from their devices, which then enables them to make content larger or use a screen reader or other assistive tech.
To find businesses that accommodate these accessibility needs, you can just search for phrases like "wheelchair accessible," "ASL proficient" or "Braille menus" on Yelp. You'll also find these attributes on business pages under a new Accessibility section.
Yelp is also using AI to generate alternative text descriptions for photos, allowing people who use screen readers to better understand menu items. This AI-powered alt text feature is available on desktop, and will become available across all platforms and categories in the future, Yelp says. The company has also improved color contrast, to make it easier for people with low vision or who are colorblind to navigate through content.
Businesses can also take advantage of Yelp's new Accessibility Resource Hub to access information and tools from organizations like the American Association of People with Disabilities, Disability:IN, Open to All and The Arc. There, they can learn about creating more inclusive spaces for customers with disabilities, such as updating signage or adding a QR code menu. To add Yelp's new accessibility attributes to their Yelp page, business owners can log into their Yelp for Business account and edit their "Business Information" section.
Yelp joins a growing list of companies working to boost their accessibility offerings. Tech giants including Apple, Google and Amazon have rolled out a series of tools and updates in recent years to make their products and services accessible to a wider range of people.
For instance, Apple is adding features like eye tracking and vocal shortcuts to make it easier to navigate an iPhone or iPad. Google has added more accessibility information to Maps, including wheelchair-accessible entrances, accessible bathrooms and parking. Amazon has rolled out features like Dialogue Boost, which makes it easier to hear dialogue in a show or movie over background sounds, and now lets Amazon Fire TV customers stream audio directly to their hearing implants.