The Microsoft Accessibility Update provides information about accessibility including accessibility options in Microsoft products. This newsletter is sent via e-mail to subscribers in the first week of the month and is also published on the Microsoft Accessibility Web site.

Accessibility in Windows 7

Windows 7 includes accessibility options and programs that make it easier to see, hear, and use your computer including ways to personalize your PC. Windows 7 also gives you more ways to interact with your PC by taking advantage of new strides in speech recognition and touch technology.

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Our Accessibility Mission at Microsoft

At Microsoft, our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers. We deliver on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone--regardless of age or ability.

Microsoft leads the industry in accessibility innovation and in building products that are safer and easier to use. Microsoft facilitates the next generation of accessible technology and moves the industry forward with groundbreaking technologies. Microsoft also strives to lead the industry in approaching accessibility in new ways. Microsoft coined the phrase Inclusive Innovation to highlight the need for a conversation that goes beyond UI design considerations.

Learn more about Microsoft's accessibility mission, strategy, and progress.

State Government Modernizes Web Portal with Improved Online Services that are Accessible to Its Citizens with Disabilities

West Virginia's state government wanted to make better use of the Internet to provide timely information and e-government services to its citizens. The state government migrated its Web site to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, increasing content by 547 percent to drive a 24 percent increase in site traffic. As an added advantage, the state of West Virginia site is also accessible to its citizens with disabilities. The office SharePoint Server 2007 Accessibility Kit ensured that all state Web content meets or exceeds Section 508 accessibility standards.

Read this case study