Understanding Accessible Technology

Accessible technology is computer technology which enables individuals to adjust a computer to meet their visual, hearing, dexterity, cognitive, and speech needs.

Types of accessible technology studied include:

Accessibility options built into products such as options that change font size and color.
Assistive technology products which are specialty hardware and software products such as a screen reader or voice recognition product.

The Need for Accessible Technology

The majority of computer users can benefit from the use of accessible technology, according to a study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Forrester Research.

The figure below shows that 57% (74.2 million) of computer users are likely or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to having mild or severe difficulties/impairments. Specifically:

40% (51.6 million) of computer users are likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to mild difficulties/impairments.
17% (22.6 million) of computer users are very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to severe difficulties/impairments.

Pie chart showing the percentage of computer users likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology: Very likely: 17 percent (22.6 million); Likely: 40 percent (51 million); Not likely: 43 percent (56.2 million). Base: U.S. 18-64 year-old computer users. Source: Study commissioned by Microsoft, conducted by Forrester Research, Inc. 2004.

Read more about the need and demand for accessible technology.