”Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to each person’s needs. Accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with disabilities and it enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities.”

Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation

Understanding Accessibility

Accessibility makes it easier for anyone to see, hear, and use a computer, and to customize their computing environment according to their own preferences, needs, and abilities. For many people, accessibility is what makes computer use possible.At Microsoft, our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers. We deliver on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone—including people who experience the world in different ways because of impairments and disabilities.

Accessibility is not a minority issue. According to a recent US census, today, 18% of the population lives with some kind of disability, including those related to aging. All people benefit from an environment in which it is easier and safer to move and function. Microsoft research indicates that 57% of computer users in the 18–64 age range are likely to benefit from accessible technology. Accessible technology can benefit people with disabilities or temporary impairments, and allow everyone to set up their personal preferences for interacting with their computer.

Microsoft demonstrates its understanding of and commitment to accessibility by:

  • Developing accessible products by integrating accessibility into product planning, research and development, product development, and testing.
  • Collaborating with stakeholders around the world andbuilding strong relationships with technology partners, governments, and organizations that advocate on behalf of people with disabilities.
  • Supporting Global Policy Agendas that promote broader digital inclusion at national, regional, and international levels.

Developing Accessible Products

For over 20 years Microsoft and its global network of partners have been developing innovative accessible technology solutions that meet the needs of people with a wide range ofabilities.From its earliest experiences with the issues of accessibility, Microsoft has listened, learned, and applied what it's learned. The result is an increasing momentum toward the goal of making computers accessible and useful to all people.Our products are the most broadly accessible products on the market.All Microsoft technologies—from consumer products to developer tools—arebuilt with accessibility in mind.Some of our leading products such as Windows®, Microsoft Office 2007®, and Internet Explorer 8® demonstrate that commitment.

While developingWindows Vista, Microsoft invested in more than three years of research to better understand the needs of people with a wide range of impairments that could affect computer use. Major accessibility improvements in Windows Vista include state-of-the-art speech recognition, enhanced magnification and text-to-speech capabilities, and the new Ease of Access Center, which is a one-stop-shop for accessibility.Windows 7 introduces additional significant improvements to Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and a better way to adjust screen resolution and font size.

Microsoft Office 2007has a completely redesigned user interface that enables greater accessibility by making it easier for people to find the tools, commands, and options they need. Office 2007 also provides improved keyboard access, makes full use of many familiar accessibility features, and is designed to work seamlessly with assistive technology from other companies as well as Windows Speech Recognition in Windows Vista.

Internet Explorer 8has new and improved accessibility features includingeasier shortcuts and page-zooming and page color control that makes Internet navigation easier than ever. Enhanced keyboard access can also be found in the default toolbar buttons, search box items, address bar, and tabs.

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Collaborating with Stakeholders

Microsoft collaborates with a wide range of leading organizationsto raise awareness about the importance of accessibility and meeting the technology needs of people with disabilities. These partnershipsare vital to our comprehensive understanding of the needs of those who use accessible technology and to ensuring that all users can benefit from it.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Microsoft has a long history of working closely with NGOs and consumer advocacy groups through regular consultation and engagement. For example, by supporting programs such as thePartnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA) and Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) program,we are collaborating with NGOs worldwidetoimplementinformation and communication technology (ICT) skills training for people with disabilities. The POETA program alone has enabled50,000 people with disabilitiesin Latin America to learn e-skills, significantly increasing their employment prospects.

Government:We work with governments around the world to create policies and programs that promote broad digital inclusion, including for people with disabilities. Weregularly consultwith and provide expertise to governments and international institutions, such as the United Nations (UN)and the European Commission. For example,Microsoft participates in the UN Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technology (G3ict)and is helping to develop a toolkit to translate the digital accessibility provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into a practical roadmap for policymakers around the world. We have also partnered with theKorean Agency for Digital Opportunity & Promotion (KADO)to create a Joint Accessibility Centrethat supports the creation and deployment of new accessible technologies.

Partners:Microsoft understands that partnership and cooperation are key to ensuring the widest availability of accessible technologies. Through our Microsoft Assistive Technology Vendor Program we workwithtechnology companies around the worldto ensure that hundreds of accessible technology productsare available for use on the Microsoft platform. We also co-operate with leading information and assistive technology companies through the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA), an engineering working group devoted to solving some of the long-standing challenges associated with developing accessible technologies.

Supporting Global Policy Agendas

Microsoft has developed a set of policy principles to support the commitment to digital inclusion of governments around the world. We believe these five principles lie at the core of successful e-Accessibility policyframeworks and underpin the development and the widespread implementation of accessible technologies.

Harmonize international standards and procurement approaches.Market-led, globally harmonized accessibility standards and the procurement policies that reference them are the foundation of accessible and interoperable ICT products. Globally harmonized standards bring major advantages to both business and users of accessible technology.

Promote effective conformance.Accessible technology can most successfully be promoted without undue regulatory burden. When standards are referenced in government procurement policies, Microsoft advocates for effective and rigorous conformance mechanisms that provide for adequate assurance of compliance, encourage innovation, and promote consumer choice. One such example is the voluntary supplier declaration of accessibility, defined in the ISO/IEC 17050 standard, and used in a number of countries around the world.

Ensuretechnology neutrality.Technology-neutral policies promote innovation, eliminate barriers to trade and market access, enhance competition, and prevent bias in government procurement. Microsoft believes that a flexible policy approach that is based on a commitment to technology neutrality and choice is particularly appropriate in the rapidly converging IT world. Customers and governments today increasingly rely on a combination of proprietary and open source software, as well as on open standards and proprietary standards, to develop accessibility solutions.

Promoteinteroperability.Interoperability is crucial to creating an accessible computing environment for userswith a broad range of abilities. It is a key feature of Microsoft accessible technologies and we advocate for public policies that allow for a variety of complementary ways to achieve it. Governments should not engineer interoperability by prescribing specific means to the exclusion of others, but rather allow ICT vendors and purchasers to use alternative solutions that best suit their needs.

Promote accessibility in policy priorities.Accessible technology iscentral to the policy-making process in many important areas, including education, aging, and employment. Microsoft is aware that we can achieve more in cooperation than in isolation. We therefore encourage governments to create a multiplier effect through multi-stakeholder partnerships that leverage accessible technology to address key policy challenges and deliver positive effects forindividuals and society at large.

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