Rob Sinclair Chief Accessibility Officer Microsoft Corporation

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Vision (1 in 4) (blind, low-vision, color-blind) Mobility/Dexterity (1 in 4) (Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury, …) Hearing (1 in 5) (deaf or hard of hearing) Cognitive (1 in 7) (Autism or learning difficulty) 15% (1 billion) of the world's population is living with some form of a disability (World Report on Disability, 2011) 100% of the world’s population is aging every day 3

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“Enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential” … regardless of age or ability. 6

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Businesses Educators Governments

R EQUIREMENTS D ESIGN I MPLEMENTATION V ERIFICATION R ELEASE S UPPORT Accessibility Development Lifecycle Microsoft Accessibility Standard Internal set of guidelines and best practices for Microsoft’s engineering teams. Beginning in 2012, these are mandatory for all Microsoft products and services. Center of Excellence for Accessible Design Accessibility experts who consult with Microsoft design and engineering teams. Integration into Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative 9

Windows 7 built-in Accessibility Features Narrator Screen Reader Windows Magnifier Speech Recognition On-Screen Keyboard High Contrast Microsoft Office 2010 Accessibility Checker Save as DAISY Plug-in STAMP captioning tool for PowerPoint Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Accessible templates guide authors to create WCAG 2.0 AA compliant websites. Free Developer Technologies and Tools Free Accelerator Programs DreamSpark for students, BizSpark for small business, etc 10

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1. Few companies understand the business case. 2. New generation of engineers is uneducated & unaware. 3. Difficult to identify qualified accessibility experts. 4. Continually reinventing proven approaches. 5. New products & content are often inaccessible. 6. Increasing use of legislation and litigation. 7. Some standards efforts struggling to address accessibility. 8. Many accessibility practitioners are overwhelmed. 12

Misunderstanding of Accessibility and Inclusion Belief it is a one-dimensional problem (e.g. “fix the technology”). Belief that accessibility hinders creativity or innovation. Approached as a medical accommodation, not personalized technology. Accessibility is Not Integrated into the Mainstream Not part of curriculum for designers, developers, business leaders, etc. Not approached as a fundamental element of good product design. Increasing Technical Complexity Steep learning curve and high cost of maintaining expertise. Insufficient Global Coordination and Collaboration Good work is happening, but it is geographically isolated or fragmented. 13

International Society of Accessibility Professionals Create and maintain globally-recognized educational resources Integrate accessibility into university curricula Train and certify international accessibility professionals Mentor professionals and help them maintain their expertise Drive accessibility literacy across job functions in public and private sector Build and nurture a global community of experts Recognize organizations doing accessibility well Help related efforts around the world coordinate their work Support the unique requirements of individual countries Establish and promote the sharing of best practices 14

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