Our accessibility approach
At Microsoft, we understand the power of technology, and that's why we continue to innovate, create, and design in a way that gives everyone the ability to achieve more.
Bridging the Disability Divide
The ‘Disability Divide’ is the gap in societal inclusion for people with disabilities, including in education, employment, and access to technology. As the world begins recovering from the pandemic, we are committed to helping decrease the gap, starting with affordable and accessible technology.
Our Accessibility Evolution Model
To enable transformative change accessibility needs to be a priority. That’s why we have begun to manage it like a business and developed our Accessibility Evolution Model to track our progress.
Accessibility at Microsoft
Inclusive hiring
Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. One of the ways we fulfill this ambition is through an unwavering commitment to a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.
Recruiting
Our inclusive hiring career site provides details on hot jobs, up-coming events, employee stories, and frequently asked questions for candidates with disabilities, as well as a disability hiring toolkit for recruiters, information about the Microsoft Autism Hiring Program, and other resources.
Onboarding
Successful onboarding is vital to all new Microsoft employees. We offer an accessible new employee orientation program, an assigned mentor to assist with the transition, assistive technologies for your office, plus services such as building orientation, team training, and campus tours.
Accommodations
Our employees have access to support navigating their Microsoft benefits, health and wellness programs, ASL interpreters, and reasonable accommodations for medical needs or disabilities—which may include modified work schedules, assistive technology, and assistance when travelling.
Training
Team-centric and company-wide training is offered to all employees. Topics such as disability education, etiquette, and inclusive best practices are just part of our training efforts.
Employee community
We strive to build and enable the future of disability inclusion with our annual employee conference, the Microsoft Ability Summit, and numerous Employee Resource Groups for people with disabilities and allies.
Inclusive design
Designing for inclusivity opens our experiences and reflects how people adapt to the world around them. To help fulfill our mission of empowering everyone, we created a comprehensive toolkit to guide inclusive design.
Innovation and research
Innovation requires intention. In our Xbox Inclusive Lab and the Microsoft Enable Lab, Microsoft researchers focus on creating technologies that empower everyone.
Hack culture
Each summer, Microsoft hosts global hackathons as a part of our annual one-week event. Since the first hackathon in 2014, we've formed "Ability Hacks" focused on solving unique challenges faced by people living with disabilities—150 hacks so far and counting.
Accessibility resources and training
We are sharing what we've learned about accessibility and disability inclusion. From creating accessible content, products, and experiences, to disability hiring and more—we have tips and training that will benefit everyone.
Corporate Social Responsibility
We believe companies that can do more, should. Learn about our commitments to ensure the technology we create benefits everyone on the planet, as well as the planet itself.
Working with others to make progress
Microsoft engages with policymakers, people with disabilities, and subject-matter experts to improve disability inclusion and accessibility.
Public policy
Policymakers can help improve access to education, employment, and government services by supporting existing accessibility standards in their procurement and inclusion policies.
Ability Summit
Ability Summit is an annual digital event where you can discover new accessible technology, learn from leaders with disabilities, and explore how accessibility can empower everyone within an organization and your community.
Image “JORD1809_WM-1” by Jordan Nicholson is courtesy of Disability:IN and licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0