Contribute to Google Maps and OpenStreetMap

The project's goal is that accessibility information ends up where people already look for places: Google Maps and OpenStreetMap. The Project's administrators add every approved place to both, using the measurements and photos that surveyors sent through the online form. Surveyors do not have to do anything, but they are welcome to add their own approved reports to these maps with their own accounts; this page is the working guide for administrators and for anyone who wishes to help.

Principles

• Only add facts from approved surveys (entrance, door, toilet, lift). Never copy from other maps or apps.
• Do not post clear faces without consent, nor private information. Only photos marked as public in the approved report may be used.
• Content posted on Google Maps is covered by Google's terms (you give Google a licence to use it). OpenStreetMap contributions are released under the ODbL licence. Read both before contributing.
• Accuracy over speed: one place at a time, with the measurements from the survey.

Prepare in the Admin area

1. Open Admin > Maps contributions. Use the filters "Not on Google Maps yet" and "Not on OpenStreetMap yet" to pick the next place.
2. Under the place name, use the copy buttons: Copy place link (put it in the note as the source), Copy coordinates, Copy name + address and Copy OSM tags. The links "Open in Google Maps" and "Open the OSM editor here" go straight to the place.

A. Google Maps (Local Guides)

1. Sign in to Google Maps with your own personal Google account (Local Guides is free and optional). The project does not use a shared account: Google may suspend an account used by several people in several places, so each person contributes under their own name.
2. Paste the coordinates into the search box to find the exact spot, and open the page of the place.
3. Choose to suggest an edit or update the place's details, open the Accessibility attributes (for example wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking, toilet, seating) and answer them from the survey. The menu names change over time; if you cannot find them, search the Google Maps help for "accessibility attributes".
4. Add the public photos of the entrance and door, and if you like a short review mentioning step-free access, door width, lift and toilet.
5. If the place is missing, add it as a new place with the exact address (use Copy name + address).
6. Copy the link of the place or contribution (Share, then Copy link), paste it into the link box in Admin > Maps contributions and press "Record as added".

B. OpenStreetMap

1. Sign in at openstreetmap.org and use the link "Open the OSM editor here" (the iD editor opens at the right place).
2. Select the existing object of the place (shop, hotel, museum, station...). Add a new one only if it does not exist yet.
3. In the tag text view, paste the tags from Copy OSM tags and check each one. Main tags: wheelchair = yes / limited / no; toilets:wheelchair = yes / no; also door:width (metres), step_count, ramp:wheelchair, wheelchair:description. The same tags are published in the Open data. Remove any tag you cannot confirm.
4. In the changeset comment write what you did and set the source to survey (for example "Added wheelchair access from an on-site survey").
5. Save, open the object page (address like openstreetmap.org/node/123), copy it into the link box in Admin > Maps contributions and press "Record as added".

Important for OpenStreetMap: add one place at a time from an approved survey. Do not copy the whole project dataset into OpenStreetMap and do not copy from Google Maps; bulk imports need the agreement of the OpenStreetMap community first.

After recording

Once the information shows on the map, press "Verify" in Admin > Maps contributions. Surveyors see the status of their places in their Profile and earn badges. The contributions belong to the Project and stay even if a surveyor later deletes their account (their name is removed).