{"id":5775,"date":"2024-05-17T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T15:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=5775"},"modified":"2024-05-13T11:48:40","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T18:48:40","slug":"microsofts-fresh-approach-to-accessibility-powered-by-inclusive-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/microsofts-fresh-approach-to-accessibility-powered-by-inclusive-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft\u2019s fresh approach to accessibility powered by inclusive design"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Microsoft[Editor\u2019s note: This content was written to highlight a particular event or moment in time. Although that moment has passed, we\u2019re republishing it here so you can see what our thinking and experience was like at the time.]<\/em><\/p>\n

Adopting rigorous design standards is helping Microsoft get better at something very important to the company\u2014getting accessibility right inside its own walls.<\/p>\n

Microsoft\u2019s journey to transform its approach to accessibility started when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took the helm in 2014, says Tricia Fejfar, partner director of user experience in Microsoft Digital, the organization that powers, protects, and transforms Microsoft. Nadella sharpened the company\u2019s focus on accessibility in 2017, when he penned a moving essay describing his experience raising a child with cerebral palsy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat really got us thinking about accessibility internally,\u201d Fejfar says. \u201cEmployees are more productive and engaged when they have simple, easy-to-use tools, and accessibility is a very important part of that DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 1 billion people on the planet identify as having some form of a disability, so building experiences that are accessible to all Microsoft employees makes a difference every day.<\/p>\n

\"Manish
Manish Agrawal helps teams in Microsoft Digital make sure the experiences they build for Microsoft employees are accessible. He is a senior program manager on Microsoft Digital\u2019s Accessibility team. (Photo by Marie Robbin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBeing able to do my job at Microsoft based on my skills and not be blocked by my blindness has made a big difference in my life,\u201d says Manish Agrawal, a senior program manager for the Accessibility team within Microsoft Digital.<\/p>\n

Agrawal, who is blind, works to make Microsoft products more accessible to people with disabilities. It\u2019s about creating an inclusive work environment where everyone can succeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s not just about making products accessible for Microsoft employees to help them get their work done,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s also about supporting employees with disabilities and ensuring that Microsoft builds a diverse and inclusive workforce across the spectrum of abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fejfar adds, \u201cDesigning for and building experiences that reflect the diversity of the people who use them makes sure we put our people at the center of our work. Until people recognize that, and honor it in the work they do, they can\u2019t begin to make sure what they build will take care of everyone\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about understanding why you build something and who will use it. Microsoft calls it being human-centric and customer obsessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding accessible experiences is not a compliance effort or a checklist of guidelines,” Fejfar says. “It\u2019s about thinking of the user at all stages of the development process so you build usable, delightful, and cohesive end-to-end experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hiring and supporting people with disabilities makes good sense for the company and helps attract top talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cMillennials choose employers who reflect their values, and diversity and inclusion are at the top of their list,\u201d Fejfar says. \u201cThey make up 75 percent of the global workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making a difference in the lives of people like Agrawal is what brings people to the Accessibility team, Fejfar says. \u201cWe\u2019re here because we want to make sure the internal products that our employees use every day are accessible,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

[<\/em>Find out how building inclusive, accessible experiences at Microsoft is a catalyst for digital transformation.<\/em><\/a> Learn how Microsoft enables remote work for its employees.<\/em><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Adopting a coherent design system<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nadella sharing his story led to a company-wide pivot toward accessibility and improving employability for people with disabilities at Microsoft. One of the initiatives connected to this goal was creating a set of coherence design standards that teams can use each time they builds new tools and services for employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing a coherent design language reduces engineering costs while increasing engineering efficiency,\u201d Fejfar says. \u201cThat makes what we build predictable to our users, which increases engagement and builds trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Microsoft Digital\u2019s design system is built on top of Fluent, Microsoft\u2019s externally facing design language<\/a>, which makes it feel more like Microsoft.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding coherently means something very specific to us,\u201d Fejfar says. \u201cIt means designing and coding accessible and reusable UI components, interaction patterns, brand, and other guidelines to build predictable experiences for our employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

These design standards have allowed Microsoft to not only consider accessibility as part of every internal project. They also consider accessibility at every step along the way, from idea, to construction, to release. That makes its products accessible to as wide a range of people as possible, which creates new opportunities and better experiences for everyone who works at Microsoft.<\/p>\n

Accessible design benefits everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Agrawal cites closed captioning as an example of a widely useful accessibility tool that is now used for far more than helping people with hearing impairments watch TV or follow a presentation. Creative uses of the capability include helping audiences understand someone with a heavy accent, following along on TVs placed in loud environments like airports and bars, or allowing someone to watch TV while their partner sleeps.<\/p>\n

In fact, closed captions or subtitles are so popular with the general population that game maker Ubisoft reported that more than 95 percent of the people who play their popular Assassin\u2019s Creed Odyssey game keep subtitles turned on. \u201cWhen you build for accessibility, you end up building a much more compelling product,\u201d Agrawal says.<\/p>\n

Moreover, it\u2019s simply good business sense to ensure that talented people such as Agrawal are empowered to make a significant contribution to companies such as Microsoft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to make sure all the applications and experiences that we build empower everyone who works here to not only do their work, but to have full, rich experiences while they\u2019re at work,\u201d Fejfar says. \u201cWithout accessible tools, people can\u2019t do their best work, and if people can\u2019t do their best work, our company, our culture, and our customers are directly impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n