Today, we have a good time the 12th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD): A day to drive consciousness, spotlight the developments in accessible know-how, and the unbelievable work taking place throughout the group to bridge the incapacity divide. Last week, I had the chance to see this in motion in Liverpool, UK, the place employees at websites throughout town had leaned into Microsoft coaching to degree up their data on digital accessibility, resulting in an entire new degree of dialog with job seekers. Can’t wait to see the impression this has on unemployment and underemployment with charges are nonetheless as excessive as 80% around the globe.
Technology can positively impression the disability divide. Accessibility is a basic proper and we’re proud to construct know-how in partnership with individuals around the globe, to boost the bar of fairness. Accessibility has lengthy historic roots that we construct upon. Something we explored on this new two-minute video Accessibility on the Heart of Innovation, with extra in tales behind the video. Today additionally sees the launch of recent applications and applied sciences with know-how developments in AI, Office, Gaming and People with new skilling and non-profit partnerships to speed up data and use of accessibility around the globe. Highlighted a couple of of those beneath.
Disability Answer Desk expands with GPT-4
Over the previous few months, the world has been captivated by the promise of generative AI. Accessibility is vital to ship inclusive merchandise and is a key a part of the Responsible AI ideas. Responsible AI is accessible AI. To preserve accessibility on the coronary heart of generative AI, we’ve three grounding ideas: AI must be accessible, consultant of individuals with disabilities and innovate to open doorways. Great to see examples of the place generative AI can change paradigms for disabled individuals. Starting with BeMyEyes.
Microsoft has a long-standing partnership with BeMyEyes, a smartphone app for blind and low imaginative and prescient customers. BeMyEyes has expanded its capabilities, with the assist of OpenAI, by introducing Virtual Volunteer that may present 500 million of its customers with detailed AI-generated descriptions of the world with no need a sighted particular person. Since we started our partnership with Disability Answer Desk and BeMyEyes in 2017, prospects have informed us that calling DAD by way of BeMyEyes resolves points shortly (resolved 95% of the time) and with nice outcomes (buyer satisfaction ranking of 4.5 out of 5).
Now we’re taking buyer assist to the subsequent degree by announcing a brand new pilot program so as to add GPT-4-powered performance to DAD. Our hope to please our prospects with quicker service, unbiased decision, and learnings on the ability of gen-AI for patrons with disabilities. Together with Hilton, P&G, Sony, and The National Federation of the Blind. Honored to be taught collectively.
Easier, extra discoverable accessibility in Office
Our enterprise prospects and companions are constructing accessibility into the center of their organizations by way of Microsoft merchandise, companies, and web sites. We requested how we are able to higher serve IT directors to create extra inclusive workplaces. Based on their suggestions, proud to announce Accessibility Baseline, an replace to Microsoft 365 Apps Admin Center and Cloud Policy. Administrators can now allow accessible doc creation for M365, and new improved Accessibility ribbon for Mac and PC, enhanced Narrator assist for Excel and accessibility checking instruments constructed into Office, continues to make accessibility extra discoverable and simpler to make use of.
Gaming for everybody
Gaming is a big area in accessibility and proud that Microsoft Gaming continues to drive innovation by way of accessible gaming for over 427 million players with disabilities. Today, they introduced that 18,000 Xbox Ambassadors have collectively accomplished over a million Accessibility Explorer Path missions. Like ItsMileyGirl, a fierce advocate for accessibility after studying about options out there and why they’re vital to customers with disabilities. Check out the Xbox celebration of GAAD and be taught extra about Xbox Ambassadors, up to date accessibility assist pages, new options, and gamer tales.
Empowering disabled expertise
People are on the coronary heart of the work in accessibility. Empowering and upskilling the employment pipeline is a key a part of our work to deal with the incapacity divide. Over the previous two years, over 1.5 million have taken the Microsoft Accessibility fundamentals coaching. Including 26K job coaches within the UK, like these in Liverpool final week. Today, in partnership with LinkedIn, proud to launch new instruments and trainings to pave a extra accessible pipeline for expertise whether or not you’re an individual with a incapacity, supervisor, or ally. Visit Microsoft Accessibility Training, our one-stop store for skilling, which incorporates pointers to those new sources:
Accelerating by way of partnership
Today, we’re asserting the 2023 Microsoft Accessibility Nonprofit Tech Accelerator (NTA) grantees. Each nonprofit grantee advancing accessibility, incapacity rights, and inclusion around the globe. One instance is the Tech for Independent Communication challenge, a joint effort between African Health Innovation Centre and Ghana National Association of the Deaf, who purpose to create an accessible video-based survey system for collating suggestions from deaf college students in Ghana. Congratulations to all grantees!
Microsoft Partners are additionally innovating, bringing their very own strengths and relationships that speed up accessibility by way of scaled options. Reddit is utilizing Microsoft Azure Cognitive Service to supply best-in-class alt textual content captions for the tens of millions of pictures on Reddit’s platform. Also tales from Atos, EY, and WPP on their accessibility journey to undertake, construct, and innovate in new weblog from Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer. Thank you companions for investing in accessibility.
To shut
Accessibility is a basic proper and path to innovation. Growing a tradition of accessibility takes all items, from know-how to skilling to partnership. Proud that Microsoft is invested in that holistic tradition and in awe of all these around the globe that proceed to push ahead the long run and construct a extra inclusive and accessible world. Thank you on your partnership and need you all a Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!