New Search Engine Feature Expands Accessibility of Images

Several new accessibility features have been announced by Google. These innovations include detecting typos in URLs as well as an enhancement of its Lookout, or “assisted vision” product, launched in 2019 to help people who are visually impaired. The Lookout app utilizes a phone’s camera to assist people with low vision or blindness get more information about their surroundings and perform daily tasks more easily and efficiently. A new “’image question and answer’” feature enhances the Lookout experience. Google has explained that “’Now, whether or not images have no captions or alt text, Lookout can process the image and provide a description of it—then people can use their voice or type to ask questions and have a more detailed understanding of what’s in an image.’” Read more from MyBroadband here about how Google Chrome will check URLs for typos and more. Please note that when  going to this link for the first time, the site may ask you to verify that you aren’t a bot trying to create spam traffic prior to connecting to it.