Archive of Past Feature Articles

2006 Feature Articles
2005 Feature Articles
2004 Feature Articles
2003 Feature Articles
2002 Feature Articles
2001 Features Articles
2000 Features Articles
1999 Feature Articles
1998 Feature Articles
1997 Features Articles

2006 Feature Articles

Innovation through Collaboration: Microsoft and AT Companies Work Together to Make Windows Vista More Accessible
Microsoft's Assistive Technology Vendor program makes AT companies part of the product development process at Microsoft. (November 2006)

Vista from an Accessible View
Logan Olson, 21, says the speech-recognition software she tried out at Microsoft would help in her work publishing a lifestyle magazine for young women with disabilities. By Benjamin J. Romano, Seattle Times technology reporter. (August 2006)

Injured Iraq Vet, Using Technology that Helped Him Recover, Aims to Help Others
Technology is playing an important role in helping mitigate the effects of injuries sustained by U.S. Marine, Jonathan Kuniholm, in Iraq on New Year's Day 2003. See also press release. (May 2006)

45 Technology Centers Poised to Increase Awareness of Accessibility Features in Windows
Forty-five centers across the United States—in 39 states and Washington DC—have joined a nationwide network of Microsoft Accessibility Resource Centers (MARC). These centers provide much-needed accessibility consultation to businesses, schools, and individuals looking for empowering technology solutions. Hewlett-Packard (HP), a long-time collaborator on accessibility projects with Microsoft, has added its support in the program's second year. Each center will receive a Hewlett-Packard desktop computer running Microsoft Windows Vista—the next version of the Windows operating system. (April 2006)

2005 Feature Articles

Washington State Designs State-of-the-Art Accessible Web Site to Match Washingtonians with Disabilities to In-Home Care Workers
Home Care Quality Authority (HCQA), a Washington state agency, recently released an accessible Web site designed to help seniors, and people with disabilities, find qualified in-home care workers through a referral registry. (July 2005)

Opening Doors: Accessibility Through New Technology
A half dozen people gather together at the STAR Computer Center in the Seattle Housing Authority's Center Park Residence. It is the meeting of their computer users group. Each week they learn about a new software function or feature, ask questions, and share tips with one another. What makes this group different is that they, like the group facilitator, are blind. The software they are exploring is a program called JAWS, which translates text to speech. Article by Bill Crounse, M.D. Manager, Microsoft Global Healthcare Industry. (July 2005)

2004 Feature Articles

It's All About Access
When Randy Hayhurst woke up from his coma, his world had gone dark. The middle-aged salesman doesn't remember the instant his life changed forever, but the doctors at Harborview Medical Center filled him in on the details. Coming off a Seattle freeway on a rainy day, he was unable to stop his car before it hit the pickup truck in front of him. Hayhurst was lucky enough to keep his life, but at that moment he lost his vision. (By Ericka Chickowski, editor of Computer Source Magazine. Excerpted with permission from the December 2004 issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine, Seattle, Washington.) (December 2004)

Federal Internship Program Enables Students with Disabilities to Build Careers and Community
College internships enable students with disabilities to hone their IT skills while gaining valuable work experience. (September 2004)

2003 Feature Articles

Motivated Computer Science Students Design Map-Reading Solution for Visually Impaired
Professor Gary Bishop of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC) knows what it takes to motivate students—a chance to make a difference. Bishop's infectious enthusiasm for computer science and making it really work for people, has sparked an effort by students at UNC to bring information access to people with disabilities—and to give students meaningful work along the way.
(August 2003)

Texas A&M University Helps Students with Disabilities Develop Knowledge, Skills, and Experience Needed for Successful Careers
Graduating students with disabilities at Texas A&M University take their new degrees and their knowledge and experience with assistive technology into the workplace.
(July 2003)

Microsoft Joins European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 Campaign
Microsoft is now an official corporate partner for the 2003 European Year of People with Disabilities (EYPD)-the largest campaign in European history to raise awareness around the rights of people with disabilities.
(April 2003)

The Changing Workforce
A Demographic Shift Need Not Impede Economic Growth, If Employers Prepare.
(April 9, 2003)

2002 Feature Articles

Change by Design
Another in a series of Microsoft essays on technology and society explains how employers can reap competitive advantage by tapping an overlooked resource: people with disabilities, who are highly motivated and able to do the job with the latest in accessible and assistive technology.
(November 21, 2002)

Abilities Unlimited: For business success, remove workplace barriers
Another in a series of Microsoft essays on technology and society examines how software and assistive devices enable people with disabilities to pursue their career dreams—and help businesses to benefit from their skills and experience.
(July 15, 2002)

Assistive Technology Used to Create Online Art Gallery
Online art gallery founder uses assistive technology to create art and manage a business—hands-free.
(January 2002)

A Clear Vision for the Future
Visually Impaired Students Receive Training Toward MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) Designation Leading to Rewarding New Careers.
(January 2002)

Terrence Mitchell, MCSE—May be First Blind Person to Earn Designation
Terrence Mitchell completes 9-month training course and seven demanding tests on his way to earning the MCSE designation—may be the first blind person to earn the designation.
(January 2002)

2001 Feature Articles

Increase Independence of Students with Disabilities Using Windows and Microsoft Word
Indiana special educators Subhashini Balagopal and Patti Young saw the potential of using word processing and presentation capabilities of Microsoft Windows 98 and Office 2000 for adapting activities to help students with disabilities feel successful at school and increase their independence. They shared some of their ideas at the Closing the Gap conference.
(October 2001)

Enabling the Workplace
For people with hearing disabilities, Web sites with streaming video or audio files can offer closed captions or real-time captioning. For people who can't use their hands to navigate with a mouse, Web sites can be made compatible with assistive devices such as joysticks or puff straws. And proper design of text and graphics can make sites easier to navigate for people who have vision disabilities—and for those who don't.
(May 23, 2001)

Checking the Diversity Barometer at Microsoft
Ted Hart, a development lead at Microsoft, openly discusses what it is like to a deaf person at the company and how his computer has helped him overcome hearing loss to a great extent.
(March 2001)

Microsoft and Section 508
Microsoft believes that Section 508 reinforces the best practices that our organization already performs. We are proactively educating our product teams about Section 508 and the Access Board's proposed standards.
(January 2001)

Finding a Collective Voice
Janice Hertz, Director of Microsoft's Accessible Technology Group, lauds the work of the ATIA and emphasizes the importance of partnering to meet current and future customer accessibility needs.
(January 2001)

2000 Feature Articles

Visually Impaired Medical Transcriptionist Appreciates MSN Messenger
Lynn Schneider works at a hospital as a medical transcriptionist. Her employer hasn't installed MSN® Messenger Service yet, but that isn't stopping her. She's so excited about instant messaging that she started a user group.
(September 18, 2000)

Celebrating the Ten-Year Anniversary of the ADA
The 10th anniversary of the ADA is July 26 and in celebration of that anniversary this newsletter highlights a few ADA news highlights and events.
(July 26, 2000)

Curb Cuts and Carbon Paper
When a chime sounds to signal that an elevator car has arrived, few of us realize that we're taking advantage of a technology originally developed to give people with disabilities extra time to reach the door before it closes. In fact, many technologies that were first designed to assist people with disabilities were later widely adopted because of their value to everyone.
(July 26, 2000)

Important Technology Developments That Impacted Accessibility
Outlining significant developments in technology that have affected accessibility, Janice Hertz, Director of Accessibility at Microsoft, delivered a keynote address at CSUN 2000.
(March 2000)

Microsoft Receives Corporate Sponsorship Award for support of Easter Seals at the "Visions of Our Future" Easter Seals 2000 National Awards, in Los Angeles, California.
(March 2000)

Accessible Technology
Another in a series of Microsoft essays outlines the steps Microsoft and other companies are taking to ensure that people with disabilities can take full advantage of technology's benefits at home, work and school.
(January 10, 2000)

1999 Feature Articles

Changing Occupations Midlife
Many people who change occupations midlife look to technology to open new doors. Supportive instructors can create safe learning environments.
(March 1999)

Easter Seals: The Power Behind the Flower
Easter Seals uses Microsoft software to improve employment outlook for people with disabilities.
(March 1999)

Staying on the Job with Technology
When a health crisis forces you to recuperate at home, technology may offer a way to stay connected and to keep your job.
(March 1999)

Technology Aids Brazil's Visually Impaired
Brazil's Largest Bank Shows Its New Software to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft President.
(February 1999)

1998 Feature Articles

Microsoft Gives and Receives Honors for support of accessibility in the workplace. Microsoft continues outreach program to help employers use assistive technology to employ and retain talented people with disabilities.
(October 1998)

Easter Seals Announces a $1 Million Software Grant From Microsoft
The gift will be used to train and equip children with disabilities with computer assistive technology in their schools as well as expand adult employment training programs.
(September 1998)

Bill Gates Outlines Microsoft's Continued Commitment to product accessibility during Accessibility Day 98, an all-day event at Microsoft headquarters. Gates told an audience of Microsoft staff and accessibility advocates that usability by individuals with disabilities must be factored in during entire product development process.
(February 1998)

1997 Feature Articles

President of Gallaudet University visits Microsoft to view products that aid students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
(August 1997)