Yelp is adding new search options to help people with disabilities find more information about accessibility and amenities at businesses. (Yelp)
Yelp says it has significantly increased accessibility information in listings for restaurants and other places on its site, while also encouraging businesses to be more inclusive.
The online business directory and reviews site announced this week that it’s adding eight new phrases for users to search, all aimed at helping people with disabilities find places that meet their needs.
Yelp said it is updating its website to enhance navigation for screen readers, improve color contrast and include AI-generated alt text descriptions for photos. Additionally, the company is establishing an accessibility resource hub to help business owners learn how to better accommodate people with disabilities.
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The changes, rolling out ahead of Disability Pride Month in July, come as Yelp sees a surge in demand for accessibility information: Yelp’s senior vice president of product, Akhil Kudvali Ramesh, said in a blog post this week that searches for “wheelchair accessible” on the site have increased 40% between 2020 and 2023.
“While ‘wheelchair accessible’ attributes are one of the most popular on Yelp business pages, we recognize that the accessibility needs of the more than 42 million Americans with disabilities are diverse,” he said. “These new attributes and resources are just part of our ongoing efforts to support the disability community, and we look forward to continuing to prioritize this work as we focus on improving and maintaining our platform to empower and support individuals of all abilities.”
Yelp partnered with disability organizations Disability:IN, the American Association of Disabilities, Open to All and The Arc to make the enhancements.
In addition to “wheelchair accessible,” new search attributes on the site include “handicapped parking near entrance,” “ADA compliant main entrance,” “ADA compliant restrooms,” and “no steps,” indicating that these barriers do not exist at entrances or within storefronts.
Users can also search for “ASL fluent,” meaning at least one staff member is ASL fluent, or “closed captions on television,” meaning at least one television at a restaurant, food, or nightlife establishment has closed captions. Other search options include “braille menus available” and “QR code menus available.”
According to Yelp, the new attributes can be found by clicking on the “Accessibility” section of a business page, and business owners can add these details to their listing by editing the “Business Information” section.
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