Microsoft Celebrates Disability Pride Month and Reinforces Commitment to Accessibility

This month, Microsoft proudly celebrates Disability Pride Month, coinciding with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The company is reaffirming its dedication to closing the disability divide through technology and policy. Microsoft views disability as a strength, and believes empowering people with disabilities is essential for creating a more inclusive and accessible world.

Addressing the Disability Divide

Microsoft’s efforts focus on narrowing the gap between opportunities and outcomes for people with and without disabilities, especially in education, employment, and civic participation. The company recognizes that closing the disability divide requires innovative technology, but also effective public policies protecting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, ensuring full and equal participation in society.

Access to Civic Participation

In this election year, more than half the global population is eligible to vote, underscoring the power of the disabled vote. Microsoft, in the United States, is collaborating with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), AAPD’s REV UP, and the Center for Civic Design on the Accessible Voting Guide. This guide provides resources and guidance for election officials, policymakers, advocates, and voters on improving election accessibility and inclusivity. The guide offers details on accessible voting practices in each U.S. state, including early voting, in-person voting on Election Day, mail voting, and accessible vote-by-mail tools.

The guide also shares information on accessible voting rights and how to advocate for voters with disabilities.

Access to Economic Equity

In the U.S., Microsoft continues advocating for the elimination of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wages. The company emphasizes the importance of wage equity, and pays its employees at least minimum wage, expecting the same from its suppliers. Microsoft endorses the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. This bipartisan bill would end subminimum wages and provide grants and technical assistance to help employers transition to competitive, integrated employment for workers with disabilities. Microsoft also provided comments during the Department of Labor’s 2024 Subminimum Wage Listening Sessions and made their position clear.

Globally, various legislations, regulations, and agreements affect the inclusion and protection of people with disabilities. These include the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and Web content and Mobile Applications regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Microsoft views these accessibility agreements as opportunities to be more inclusive, improve clarity, and accelerate accessibility.

Responsible AI and Accessibility

Microsoft’s Responsible AI framework includes fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness. Microsoft partners with companies worldwide that provide accessible products and services through this framework. Partnerships with Global Symbols and Cboard demonstrate how AI can address the disability divide through technology.

Global Symbols works on Augmentative and Alternative Communications (AAC), assisting individuals with speech, language, and literacy challenges. They’re creating a tool to automate symbol production using Stable Diffusion models and DALL-E 3 on Azure OpenAI that aims to bring new possibilities through culturally relevant AAC experiences to underserved communities.

Cboard is developing a multi-platform application using Azure OpenAI within Azure AI Studio to generate quick and accurate responses during conversations for AAC users. This AI-powered solution provides real-time suggestions to enhance communication for people who face difficulties in verbal communication or processing conversational cues.

Microsoft believes that these AI-driven partnerships, along with other initiatives, are crucial to narrowing the disability divide.

Conclusion

As Microsoft celebrates Disability Pride Month and the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it recognizes the progress made since the ADA’s passage in 1990. The company is grateful for its partners in the disability community and continues to celebrate the global disability community’s talent, ingenuity, and commitment to advancing accessibility. Microsoft encourages anyone with questions or feedback on Accessibility to contact the Disability Answer Desk or use the new Bing AI-powered Ask Microsoft Accessibility tool. More information on fostering disability inclusion in the workplace is available via the Strengthening Teams: Foster Disability Inclusion program on LinkedIn Learning.