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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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

10. Resources
Microsoft Accessibility Internet site Click on “Worldwide Sites” to see localized versions.
Microsoft AT Partner Program

11. 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