Feature Articles & Essays

These articles and essays include inspiring features on people and organizations realizing potential through the use of accessible technology, and essays by key Microsoft employees, partners, and associates who work to make computers more accessible.

Accessibility Perspectives Essays
Feature Articles

Accessibility Perspectives Essays

	Preserving Dreams: Inventive Rehabilitation Counselor Enables Patients to Gain Back Their Independence For more than a decade, Curt Johnson has served as a rehabilitation counselor with the UW Medical Center. Johnson, who likes problem-solving and mechanical tinkering, brings a unique set of skills to a challenging job.
	Microsoft is Working to Meet the Technology Needs of People with Multiple Sclerosis Ellen Kampel, public affairs manager in the accessibility group at Microsoft, is an expert on accessible and assistive technologies and how they can enhance the lives of people with disabilities and age-related impairments.
	Creating a Positive Work Environment for People with Disabilities Mylene Padolina, a senior diversity consultant on the Global Diversity and Inclusion team at Microsoft, is an expert in workplace accessibility and accommodation for people with disabilities.
	Working Together, Microsoft and AT Vendors Create Innovative Technology Solutions for Everyone Dan Hubbell, a technology evangelist in the accessibility group at Microsoft, manages the Microsoft Assistive Technology Vendor program, which makes AT manufacturers an integral part of the product development process at Microsoft.
	Senior Computing: A Growing Market for Information and Communications Technology Gary Moulton, a product manager in the accessibility group at Microsoft, is spearheading an effort to evaluate the senior market for information and communications technology. Gary, who has a doctorate in business administration, spent 10 years at Apple before joining Microsoft in the mid-1990s. Today, Gary is an expert in accessible and assistive technology solutions.
	Strategic Accessibility Investments Make Windows Vista a Stronger Platform for AT Innovation Mic Wagoner, a principal software design engineer at Microsoft, led the accessibility design and development team during the entire product development cycle for Windows Vista. Mic and her team are responsible for many of the new and enhanced accessibility settings and features in Windows Vista.
	Listening to Users is the Key to Speech Recognition at Microsoft Rob Chambers, a Microsoft employee since 1995, leads a team devoted to developing state-of-the-art speech recognition technology for products such as Windows Vista.
	Accessibility is Good Design and Good Business Michael Takemura is director of the accessibility program office at HP, and understands the importance of forging strategic industry partnerships and promoting good public policy to encourage accessibility.
	The Aging Workforce is Changing the Demand for Technology that is Accessible Bonnie Kearney, director of marketing in the accessibility group at Microsoft, is an expert at analyzing customer trends and their affect on the market for accessible technology products. Her job is developing marketing strategies consistent with those trends to make accessible technology more readily available to the growing number of people who want it.
	Connecting People with the Right Technology Has a Positive Impact On Their Lives, and Mine Joanne Castellano is the director of TECHConnection, a program of Family Resource Associates, a nonprofit organization in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, that assists people with disabilities and their families.
	Usability Research and User Feedback are Keys to Accessible Product Planning at Microsoft Annuska Perkins, a product planner in the accessibility group at Microsoft, is an expert in gathering feedback from computer users and conducting computer user research. Her job is to help product groups at Microsoft understand and accommodate the needs of those who require accessible technology to use their PCs and the Internet.

Feature Articles

Simple Loop Helps Special Needs Kids Control Their Mice
Microsoft employee Mike LaManna was surprised to find few adaptive solutions for special needs children who had trouble using computer mice. Using creativity, trial and error, and some helpful coworkers, LaManna set out to change that.
(April 2009)

Microsoft Announces European Grants Worth 5 Million Euro to Fuel Jobs and Growth in Economic Downturn
Microsoft Corp today announced it will invest an additional 5 million euro in cash and software in non-governmental organizations (NGO) that run community skills training projects in 30 countries across Europe. This investment is part of Microsoft's long-term commitment to foster skills and drive growth through creating employability opportunities for young unemployed, seniors, and people with disabilities. (December 2008)

Inclusive Innovation Showroom Opens to Demonstrate Accessibility
A new Inclusive Innovation Showroom, designed to demonstrate how accessibility features in Microsoft products and assistive technology solutions developed by Microsoft partners can make it easier for anyone to see, hear, and use a computer at work or at home, has opened on the Microsoft Redmond campus. (October 2008)

World of Education Opened to Student with Visual and Motor Sensory Impairment
When 14-year-old student, Kassandra Soares of Montreal, Canada, needed a special software solution to open up her educational opportunities, a team from Microsoft and its partners joined forces with teachers to develop it for her. (August 2008)

Retired Computer Analyst with Parkinson's Discovers Accessibility Features Provide Greater Accuracy and Control
With the help of an assistive technology specialist at the Simon Technology Center, Barbara discovered accessibility features in Microsoft Windows that make it easier for her to use her computer. (July 2008)

Affordable Assistive Technology Solutions
Through years of experience, we know that assistive technology improves quality of life, increases independence and enhances safety. Unfortunately, finding funding for this technology can be an obstacle—most insurance companies don't identify assistive technology as "medically necessary"...
(April 2008)

More feature articles from 1997-2006