Yesterday, Aisha Malik, consumer news reporter for TechCrunch dropped a bombshell on TechCrunch readers, Google is doing a huge push on improving and expanding accessibility features across all Android devices! This update, which is available in English across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, focuses on enhancing the experience for users with visual impairments. The new features are only supported on devices with Android 15 and higher.
Malik has an honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and a master’s of journalism from Western University. He moved over to TechCrunch in 2021. Prior to her time at TechCrunch, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Her background in technology reporting makes her the obvious choice to tackle one of Google’s biggest movers and shakers.
The update brings all of Gemini’s robust functionality directly to the TalkBack screen reader. This administratively simple fix is worth its weight in gold for blind and low-vision people. Just over a year ago, Google introduced Gemini’s AI-generated descriptions for images in TalkBack. Now users can view rich, detailed descriptions—sort of like an artist statement—even if the images lack alt text. This new digital inclusion aspect, which can help any digital content be more user-friendly, allows users with visual impairments to independently kick-butt on the internet.
Most importantly, the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology that makes this possible was developed by Google. Without OCR, the software wouldn’t be able to grab, for example, text from a scanned image and respond with contextually relevant information. This step forward is a tremendous victory for assistive technology. It levels the playing field and gives users power to information that is otherwise inaccessible.
The new update highlights the ongoing efforts of the tech giant to make all platforms within their vast ecosystem more accessible. By integrating advanced AI capabilities into everyday applications, the tech giant aims to create a more inclusive environment for all users. The implementation of these new features to help prevent human trafficking is the latest in a series of moves to use technology for social good.
