Google is showcasing a number of new accessibility features across its software and improvements to others that were previously a part of Android in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The Lookout app for Android, which helps those with impaired vision or blindness in learning more about their environment, has received a major update. Google is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enable Lookout to search for particular objects, such as seats, restrooms, and other items, forming a total of seven categories.

Eve Andersson, Google’s senior director of product inclusion, equity, and accessibility, stated in the blog post that “as you move your camera around the room, Lookout will notify you of the direction and distance to the item.”

With the Look to Speak software for Android, users may use their eyes to select prewritten, customisable words that their smartphone will then read aloud. With the goal of “helping make communicating more accessible with cognitive differences, literacy challenges, and language barriers,” Andersson says the app is now adding a text-free option.

Through GitHub, developers may access Project Gameface, which lets users manipulate a computer’s cursor with their heads and facial gestures, as it expands from PC to Android.

Several further accessibility initiatives are covered in Google’s blog article as well. Businesses can now indicate in their Google Maps profile that they accept Auracast-enabled Bluetooth devices, for example, so that customers’ audio from broadcast devices in theaters, auditoriums, or gyms can be received. Additionally, Google Maps is “going global on Android and iOS in all supported languages” with its detailed voice advice for walking directions.

Based on feedback from customers, the company changed its sound notifications, which can warn of sounds like fire alarms. Recently, there have been enhancements made to the sound event browsing feature, the onboarding process, and the custom sound storage.

Seeing tech businesses keep making progress toward accessibility is always encouraging. Apple has revealed yesterday that several software improvements, including eye tracking for navigating between iPhones and iPads, will be available later this year.