In the present day we kick off the 14th Microsoft Capacity Summit, an annual occasion to convey collectively thought leaders to debate how we speed up accessibility to assist bridge the Incapacity Divide.
There are three key themes to this yr’s summit: Construct, Think about, and Embrace. “Construct” invitations us to discover learn how to construct accessibly and inclusively by leaning on the insights of disabled expertise. “Think about” dives into greatest practices for architecting accessible buildings, occasions, content material and merchandise. And “Embrace” highlights the problems and alternatives AI presents for creators, builders and engineers.
Katy Jo Wright and Dave McCarthy focus on Katy Jo’s journey dwelling with the complicated incapacity, Power Lyme Illness. Get insights from deaf creator and performer Leila Hanaumi; worldwide accessibility leaders Sara Minkara, U.S. Particular Advisor on Worldwide Incapacity Rights, U.S. Division of State; and Stephanie Cadieux, Chief Accessibility Officer, Authorities of Canada. And we’ll be digging into psychological well being with singer, actor and psychological well being advocate, Michelle Williams.
We’ll even be launching just a few issues alongside the way in which.
Advancing accessible expertise
Accessible expertise is essential to empowering the 1.3 billion-plus individuals with disabilities globally. With this new chapter of AI, the chances are rising, as is the duty to get it proper. We’re studying the place AI may be impactful, from the potential to shorten the hole between ideas and motion, to creating it simpler to code and create. However there may be extra to do, and we’ll proceed to leverage each instrument within the expertise toolbox to advance accessibility.
In the present day we’ll be highlighting the newest expertise and instruments from Microsoft to assist obtain this purpose together with:
- Copilot for Home windows, making accessibility simpler. Starting late March 2024, new accessibility expertise are being enabled in Home windows. Ask Copilot for Home windows to launch Stay Captions, Narrator and different accessibility options. Extra: Home windows Weblog
- M365 empowering creators to construct accessible content material. Together with Accessibility Assistant, a set of instruments to assist creators produce accessible content material accessible in the present day in Insider preview for Phrase and sharing that Outlook and PowerPoint are coming quickly! Ales Holecek may also be sharing some examples and early analysis on neurodiversity and M365 Copilot which reduces time to create content material and shortens the hole between ideas and motion.
- Azure AI for Accessibility, in the present day sharing six new examples together with:
- Seeing AI is now accessible in an extra 14 languages (whole 33) and can be rolling out the newest generative AI fashions, together with richer descriptions of photographs and chat functionality for images and paperwork.
- Azure AI Audio Description answer accelerator, new upcoming answer accelerator that makes use of Azure GPT-4 Turbo with Imaginative and prescient to explain movies for people who find themselves blind or low imaginative and prescient. WPP can be demonstrating how this works, and the answer accelerator is now open for sign-ups.
Expertise may also assist deal with lengthy enduring challenges, like discovering a remedy for ALS (Motor Neuron Illness). With Azure, we’re proudly supporting ALS Remedy Growth Institute (TDI) and Reply ALS to virtually double the medical and genomic information accessible for analysis. In 2021, Reply ALS supplied open entry to its analysis by an Azure Information Portal, Neuromine. This information has since enabled over 300 impartial analysis initiatives around the globe. The addition of ALS TDI’s information from the continuing ALS Analysis Collaborative (ARC) examine will permit researchers to speed up the journey to discover a remedy.
We may also be previewing a few of our ongoing work to make use of Customized Neural Voice to empower individuals with ALS and different speech disabilities to have their voice. We’ve got been working with the group together with Group Gleason for a while and are dedicated to creating certain this expertise is used for good and plan to launch later within the yr.
Accessibility as a basic proper
To construct inclusively in an more and more digital world, we have to shield basic rights and can be sharing partnerships advancing this throughout the group all through the day.
This contains:
- A dialogue with Ilene Arenberg and Tanya Harris on entry to aggressive built-in employment and financial fairness, speaking in regards to the office and honest compensation.
- The British Affiliation for Supported Employment (BASE) will share their work to help disabled, neurodivergent and deprived individuals within the U.Okay. to seek out and keep careers. They’ve been rising digital expertise utilizing Microsoft Groups and group coaching to modernize the supported employment sector.
- The Starvation Challenge will speak in regards to the significance of connectivity as a basis to accessibility. It’s working with group companions in Malawi and around the globe to supply entry to connectivity and help for accessible areas, coaching supplies and digital accessibility.
- Rijksmuseum will focus on their partnership with the blind and low imaginative and prescient group to convey detailed textual content descriptions to over 1 million items of artwork utilizing Azure AI Laptop Imaginative and prescient and Azure OpenAI. This video brings the expertise to life.
Subsequent steps, accelerating your accessibility journey
All by the Capacity Summit, trade leaders can be sharing their learnings and greatest practices. In the present day we’re posting 4 new Microsoft playbooks, sharing our learnings from engaged on our bodily, occasion and digital surroundings. This features a new Psychological Well being toolkit, with ideas for product makers to construct experiences that help psychological well being situations, created in partnership with Psychological Well being America. And “Constructing Accessible Campus,” with greatest practices from our World Office Companies crew, liable for our international constructing footprint together with the brand new Redmond headquarters campus.
Please be a part of us to observe content material on demand through www.aka.ms/AbilitySummit. Technical help is all the time accessible through Microsoft’s Incapacity Reply Desk. Thanks in your partnership and dedication to construct a extra accessible future for individuals with disabilities around the globe.
