Accessibility

Opening new doors with technology for people with disabilities

- Microsoft Corporate Blogs

With 2016’s United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) fresh in our minds, we’re reflecting on how we can build a more inclusive society for the almost 15% of the world’s population living with a disability. At Microsoft, we believe technology should empower people to achieve more. While we’ve got more work to do, we’ve made progress over the last year towards making Microsoft’s products more accessible. You … Read more »

Building a cloud for global good

- Brad Smith - President and Chief Legal Officer

Today Satya Nadella and I are in Dublin. It’s the first stop on a trip that will also take us to Paris and Berlin, with Satya also visiting London. We’re spending this week meeting with customers, partners, developers and government leaders. We’ll talk about how the Microsoft Cloud is driving the transformation of businesses and industries across Europe and around the world. We’ll talk about how our customers have harnessed … Read more »

Accessibility in Europe: Progress in helping organizations be inclusive and compliant

- Adina Braha-Honciuc - Government Affairs Manager – Accessibility, Sustainability and Environment Policy

Ensuring an inclusive society starts with the decisions we make. That’s why Microsoft is committed to providing organizations with the information they need to be able to select and use accessible technology. We recently published new conformance statements so that organizations have valuable details on how our products and services meet ETSI EN 301 549 (EN) – the European accessibility standard for public procurement. With 80 million people in the … Read more »

Accessibility in the workplace – a competitive edge

- Adina Braha-Honciuc - Government Affairs Manager – Accessibility, Sustainability and Environment Policy

People across Europe increasingly rely on technology to get their jobs done. But if you have a disability, this can be a challenge. Almost half (48%) of all EU citizens living with disabilities are unemployed. This means over 38 million people are missing out on the opportunity to participate fully and equally in society. Improving this state of affairs by creating workplaces adapted to the needs of those with disabilities … Read more »

Why innovation should be accessible for all

- Adina Braha-Honciuc - Government Affairs Manager – Accessibility, Sustainability and Environment Policy

Steve Gleason, former American football star, loves to tweet about his team’s latest victories. When he’s not on Twitter, he’s catching up on emails or reading to his son. Ordinary, everyday activities. But the fact that he is doing them at all is extraordinary. Because Steve lives with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which has left him unable to talk or move. Steve is facing this with characteristic grit and determination, … Read more »

Breaking down digital barriers for persons with disabilities

- Rodolfo Cattani - Secretary-General and Chair of the ICT Expert Group, European Disability Forum

When it comes to getting hold of the latest smartphone or TV, it isn’t as simple as it could be for a person with a disability. 66-year old Pedro has a disability, and the fact that some ICT equipment and software do not provide basic accessibility functions means he has to purchase specialised, often costly add on products, something which is upsetting and unfair. This is just one example of the daily challenges … Read more »

Microsoft and the European Disability Forum host discussion on e-Government

- James Thurston - Chief Online Safety Officer, Microsoft

Yesterday Microsoft co-hosted an important policy discussion with the European Disability Forum (EDF) at the European Parliament here in Brussels, Belgium. EDF is a non-governmental organization that is committed to creating a more inclusive Europe for persons with disabilities. The partnership between EDF and Microsoft was inspired by a shared belief that collaboration between civil society and industry is indispensable to achieving the common goal of a more inclusive society … Read more »

Making progress on web accessibility across Europe

- James Thurston - Chief Online Safety Officer, Microsoft

On December 3, 2012 the European Commission (EC) announced a proposed directive on web accessibility. Just 3 days later, Microsoft joined with the European Disability Forum (EDF) to co-host a discussion in Brussels about how industry, government, and civil society can collectively start making real progress towards a more accessible web.We believe that we have a great opportunity to make a more inclusive web and that we can do it … Read more »