We’re always exploring ways to help people make more informed choices about their health. That’s why we’re providing timely and authoritative health information, plus relevant resources and tools on Google Search. Here’s how:

• When searching for a specific provider, people can check which insurance networks that they might accept. And if they’re searching for a new provider overall, on mobile, they’re now able to filter providers nearby who accept Medicare as well as view appointment availability.

• We’ve added the option for healthcare professionals to let prospective patients know what languages are spoken at their office. We currently have over a dozen languages represented, including Spanish and American Sign Language.

• People in the U.S. can find information directly in Search to self-assess their symptoms for mental health conditions. Clinically-validated self-assessments are available in English and Spanish for anxiety, PTSD and PPD, and depression (also available in Australia).

• Every year extreme heat kills nearly 500,000 people, and heat-related deaths are on the rise. That’s why we’re partnering with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) to display extreme heat alerts in Search to help keep people safe and cool.

We’re committed to making accessibility a core consideration. Explore the following pages to learn how our technology adapts to your needs:

• Learn more about accessibility in our products and features.

• Contact the Disability Support team via Be my Eyes, American Sign Language, chat, email, or phone.

• Explore Google’s Accessibility Conformance Reports based on the ITI VPAT.

Machine Learning (ML), a type of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is the bedrock of many Google products. This technology can help make people’s everyday lives easier, but when the algorithms are built with data sets that don’t represent everyone, they can fail to “see” and “understand” people with darker skin. At Google, we’re working to improve image equity and skin tone representation across our products. Here’s how:

• Google’s Research Center for Responsible AI and Human-Centered Technology partnered with Harvard professor and sociologist Dr. Ellis Monk, who has been studying the effects of skin tone and colorism for over a decade. In 2022, we openly released the Monk Skin Tone (MST) Scale — an alternative 10-shade scale that is more inclusive than the current tech-industry standard.

• We’re incorporating the MST Scale into a number of products, starting with Search. Now, when people search the web for images, such as “bridal makeup looks,” they’ll see an option to further refine their result by skin tone, making it easier to find what’s relevant. To build on improving a representative Search experience, we’re developing a standardized way to label content online so creators, brands, and publishers can use this new inclusive schema to tag their content with attributes like skin tone, hair color and hair texture, prompting more aligned results.

• We’re also bringing the MST Scale into Google Photos. We previously worked with renowned image makers and improved Google Photos’ auto enhance feature to strengthen face detection, camera, and editing products through Real Tone. Most recently, we launched a new set of Real Tone filters with a wider assortment of looks that are available across Android, iOS and Web.

• We’re open-sourcing the MST Scale to support inclusive research and development in the AI and ML space, so the tech industry at large can build more representative datasets, collectively improve ML models, and develop products that truly work for everyone.

• We’ll continue working with Dr. Monk to evaluate the MST scale across different regions and products, iterating, and improving the technology. Learn more about our efforts at skintone.google.