Microsoft Corporation Current Efforts and Future Plans For Accessibility Madelyn Bryant McIntire Director, Accessible Technology Group

Introduction Overview of ATG Value of Industry Collaboration Common Goals and Challenges Software Engineers are not taught accessibility at University Web Developers are even less aware Lack of awareness across society Technology is changing very rapidly Software Engineers come to work without knowledge and must be taught 76% of employers in the UK responded to a survey stating that opportunities to employ disabled people have not yet arisen and almost half – 44% -- said the type of work is unsuitable for disabled people.

Our Accessibility Policy Corporate Policy since 1995 Established Group of Accessibility Advisors – One mechanism of several to include customer feedback Logo program for ISV’s - Designed for Windows, Optimized for Accessibility Formal partner program for Assistive Technology Vendors announced in March – 70 companies are participants. Thomas Edison said that “Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.” We are truly inspired by our customers. With their continuing inspiration and participation, along with lots of hard work by our engineering teams, we have a very good chance of creating highly innovative products.

Delivering on Our Commitment Goal 1: Use our structured development process to bring our customers into product design, development and test. Goal 2: Partner with Assistive Technology Vendors to improve the user experience. Goal 3: Create products that make it easier for people to do it hard and hard to do it wrong. Goal 4: Build new technologies that simplify the interfaces and improve reliability.

Our Accessibility Process, Just Some Examples Software Lifecycle Voice of the Customer Requirements Product Design Development Internal Testing External Testing Release Support Gather Customer Needs Customer Review of Design Evaluate Prototypes Test against Requirements Beta Testing with AT Signoff on Accessibility Updates and Service Packs Goal 1: Maintain a proactive dialogue that results in better products.

Our Accessibility Process Software Lifecycle AT Partnership Requirements Product Design Development Internal Testing External Testing Release Support Gather ATV Needs ATV Review of Design Porting Labs Internal Compatibility Tests Beta Testing with AT Final Test Pass and Signoff Partner to Address Issues Goal: Build proactive partnerships that results in an improved customer experience.

Making it Easy to Get it Right Visual Studio.Net Creates AT interface for developers, where possible. Improved Accessibility of User Interface. Ongoing dialogue with developers with disabilities results in more improvement. FrontPage 2003 XML support allows for more flexible sites. Improved accessibility of produced pages Built-in accessibility checking for WAI and 508.

Build Better Interfaces Partner with Assistive Technology Companies to Improve the Interface Driver Chaining Management for multi-AT installation Terminal Services for AT Next Generation Interface Collaborate with Industry on Interfaces and Standards Work to create standards that are solid through W3C/WAI and other standards bodies. Bring Industry Partners into design discussions on new interfaces.

Summary Why Accessibility is Important to Us Growing market potential Accessibility = Better Products All Customers Benefit Extremely important to eInclusion

Resources Microsoft Accessibility Internet site Click on “Worldwide Sites” to see localized versions. www.microsoft.com/enable Microsoft AT Partner Program

Microsoft Accessibility Advisory (MAA) Members Members include the following National Organizations Alliance for Technology Access American Council of the Blind American Federation of the Blind American Occupational Therapy Association American Speech, Language & Hearing Association Council for Exceptional Children International Society for Augmentative & Assistive Communications Learning Disability Association of America  National Business & Disability Council National Center for Accessible Media National Council on Disability National Easter Seals National Federation of the Blind National Organization of the Deaf National Organization on Disability Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America Self Help for Hard of Hearing United Cerebral Palsy Association