{"id":283244,"date":"2020-02-22T17:10:28","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T17:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-group&#038;p=283244"},"modified":"2024-10-17T11:50:43","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T18:50:43","slug":"ability","status":"publish","type":"msr-group","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/group\/ability\/","title":{"rendered":"Ability"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"mb-3 moray-highlight\">\n\t<div class=\"card-img-overlay mx-lg-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"card-background  has-background- card-background--full-bleed\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2016\/08\/web_header_symbols_only.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Ability spelled out in American Sign Language symbols and braille\" style=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2016\/08\/web_header_symbols_only.png 985w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2016\/08\/web_header_symbols_only-300x110.png 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2016\/08\/web_header_symbols_only-768x281.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<!-- Foreground -->\n\t\t<div class=\"card-foreground d-flex mt-md-n5 my-lg-5 px-g px-lg-0\">\n\t\t\t<!-- Container -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container d-flex mt-md-n5 my-lg-5 align-self-center\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Card wrapper -->\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 w-lg-col-5\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- Card -->\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card material-md-card py-5 px-md-5\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-body \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/lab\/microsoft-research-redmond\/\" class=\"icon-link icon-link--reverse mb-2\" data-bi-cN=\"Return to Microsoft Research Lab - Redmond\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-glyph glyph-chevron-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReturn to Microsoft Research Lab &#8211; Redmond\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading h2\" id=\"ability\">Ability<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Empowering people with long-term, temporary, or situational disabilities<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-msr-ability-team-s-mission-is-to-empower-people-with-disabilities-long-term-temporary-or-situational-we-conduct-user-focused-research-to-invent-novel-accessible-technologies-that-combine-advances-in-hci-and-computing\">The MSR Ability team\u2019s mission is to empower people with disabilities (long-term, temporary, or situational). We conduct user-focused research to invent novel, accessible technologies that combine advances in HCI and computing.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the WHO, more than one billion people worldwide, or 15% of the world\u2019s population, experience some form a disability, making them the world\u2019s largest minority. In the US, the CDC reports that 26% of adults in the United States (1 in 4!) live with some form of disability. We believe that computing technologies can play a unique role in improving the quality of life and extending the capabilities of people with disabilities. In our work, we seek to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand the tech-related challenges and needs of people with disabilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In close partnership with people with disabilities and their communities, invent novel, inclusive technologies that attempt to meet their needs and aspirations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collaborate with Microsoft product groups, academics, and other organizations to spread these innovations to the world<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cFor me, my greatest satisfaction has come from my passion to see technology become more accessible for people with disabilities and to help improve their lives in a myriad of ways.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<cite>Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, 2017<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ability team conducts research at the intersection of HCI and AI, with the aim of developing innovative technologies that extend the capabilities of and enhance quality of life for people with disabilities (long-term, temporary or situational). 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