Hello Local Guides
It’s been a long time since we talked about Accessible Life, so for those who have never heard of it, let’s start from the beginning:
Accessible Life is a project created to help all people explore nature and public places, regardless of their mobility, with the ability to share these accessible places on Google Earth. With Accessible Life we want to be able to offer information on those accessible places in the open air which, by their nature, cannot be adequately managed through the accessibility information available in Google Maps.
If you want to find more about Accessible Life simply click here for the list of the activities / topics
Today I want to talk to you about @LaloPadilla and @LightRich , two Local Guides for whom accessibility and inclusion are a serious matter. Their contributions in Mexico are enriching the information on accessibility in the country.
I’m writing this thread to celebrate the latest addition to Accessible Life: Jardín Escénico Chapultepec. Through the link you can explore the garden in Google Earth, and from there open the detailed map created by Ricardo with Google My-maps. A map full of descriptions and images on the accessibility of the garden.
The video below briefly tells the story of their work mapping for accessibility and social inclusion.
However, I think it is interesting to know this part of the story directly from their words.
Hello Riccardo and Lalo.
You are two well-known moderators in the Community, and I am sure that many have read the “official” post with which you introduce yourselves in Connect:
Q: Three years later, is there anything you would like to add about yourselves?
Ricardo: I should add that i really enjoy hosting meetups for the Mexico Local Guides community where we explore interesting places around the city (Mexico City) to discover and learn about our rich history; and along with Lalo Padilla and #TeamTacos would like to host meetups in other cities along our country in 2025.
I think the next two photos could illustrate part of our adventures in the most recent years
Lalo: I am proud to be a Connect Moderator and to have the chance to support our community. Like Rich, I believe that meet-ups provide an excellent platform for sharing experiences and show local guides how to make more impactful contributions.
Q: In April 2021, you were both protagonists of the launch of Accessible Life during a live streaming. However, I never asked you a question: what did you take with you from that day?
Ricardo: For me, being part of a global initiative like Accessible Life is incredibly enriching. Listening to the experiences of other Local Guides who participate in it helps me discover new ways to contribute to Accessibility topics that I might never have thought of before.
Lalo: To me it was the feeling of contributing a little bit to a great project like yours, it was a great idea to make this collaborative map and with the help of this community it can be full of accessible places
Q: How would you describe your experience as an Accessibility Mapper to others?
Ricardo: I have to say that I’d like to add accessibility information to Google Maps more consistently. The reality is that in Mexico, many small businesses lack these features, especially when they’re located in buildings constructed two or three decades ago, back when these adaptations weren’t considered important.
However, it’s worth noting that in newer real estate developments, both residential and commercial, these features are now part of the projects from the planning stage. Slowly but surely, this culture is spreading, and prominent government and commercial buildings have started adapting their facilities to meet these needs.
This is why raising awareness about the importance of accessibility helps all of us as Local Guides become more mindful of evaluating and adding accessibility features to the establishments we visit.
Lalo: I learned a lot reading the guide that you shared, the checklist helps to pay more attention to every aspect of accessibility when we visit a place, sometimes I like to take a lot of photos of accessibility features but I just upload one or two to Maps, creating my map allowed me to share all those photos and as a result a very interesting map with recent photos showing how the place looks focused in accessibility.
Q: What advice would you give to those who want to undertake the Inclusive Mapping journey? What advice would you give to those who want to undertake the Inclusive Mapping journey?
Lalo: Just start with photos, that is the easiest way and sometimes the more helpful, try to include storefront shots to show if the place has any obstacles in their entrance or if the place has some ramps or elevators, in your reviews use the accessibility emoji 
to highlight that information and indicate if the place lacks of any of these features.
With time you will become more aware of the different kinds of accessibility features that a place should have. You can learn about them right here on Connect, there are a lot of great posts about accessibility, also you can ask any Accessibility Champion, we will be happy to help.
Ricardo: No one is an expert when they take their first step, but that’s not a problem when it comes to inclusive mapping. With every contribution, we all learn something new, and adding accessibility elements to our reviews on Google Maps helps raise awareness about the topic and highlights its importance.
As we continue exploring this subject, we start noticing new elements we hadn’t paid attention to before. This not only builds our own expertise but also helps those who rely on this information. So, the best advice is simple: just get started!>
Q: If you had to sum up Accessibility in one image, which of your photos would you like to share here with us, and why?
Ricardo: When we visited the National Museum of Anthropology, I discovered this system on the stairs leading to the restaurant. On one side, there’s a wheelchair lift that allows people with mobility challenges to go up and down safely and comfortably. I had never seen a device like this before, and it wasn’t until that visit that I realized many other public spaces also have them.
In many buildings, there are accessibility features that we don’t notice at first until we really pay attention. That’s why it’s so important to highlight these features in our reviews and raise awareness about them.
Stairs with a lift in National Museum of Anthropology
Stair with a lift in Casa Museo Lázaro Cárdenas, Los Pinos Cultural Complex
Lalo: Having accessibility features in a place means that persons with disabilities can be independent, recently a train that connects Mexico City and Toluca started its operations, which means a lot of PwD can travel in a reserved space and arrive faster to their destination, a lot of buses are not accessible, is great to have this new mode of transport that everyone can use!
Photo of wheelchair area with two folding seats inside a train
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Lalo: Sharing accessibility related contributions is something that means so much for a lot of people, and helps to decide if they can have a good experience visiting a place. It would be ideal to live in a world with universal design, sadly that is not the case, so, we can all help to raise awareness of business owners and Maps users to show them that it is important that places should be made for everyone, it is always important to showcase places that are doing something to achieve this goal and Accessible Life is perfect for that, maybe soon we can see more places added to this amazing project.
Ricardo: I want to remind all Local Guides that our contributions to the map can help others navigate your city more easily. Including accessibility features in your reviews is a simple yet powerful way to make a difference. From access ramps and elevators to adapted restrooms and designated spaces—every detail matters to someone who needs it.
We invite you to explore your city with fresh eyes. Look for outdoor areas and any places that could be part of the Accessible Life project. By adding these spaces to the project, you’re helping to promote a more inclusive and mindful culture.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, and of course for your commitment to making the world more inclusive through your contributions.
For those who want to know more about Accessible Life, and maybe even think about contributing, the links to the program are below in my signature.
Local Guides, Your advice is welcome. Do you have any questions or suggestions to give? Reply to this post, it will be a pleasure to read your comments.
Ermes - Accessible Life in Google Earth
