Abilities Unlimited
For business success, remove workplace barriers.
Cars are Willie Jones' profession and passion. He works for General Motors (GM) and restores vintage automobiles in his spare time. But he doesn't drive. He has been blind since birth.
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| Willie Jones |
A GM employee for the past 17 years, Mr. Jones works as a technical liaison with dealerships nationwide, making sure they get the information they need to repair customers' cars and trucks. He uses a personal computer equipped with a screen reader and voice synthesizer to search for engineering solutions in GM's in-house knowledge base. Technology helps him create documents, send and receive e-mail, browse the Web and do everything else his job requires.
Today, technology is increasingly accessible because of special tools and innovative features, such as high-contrast color schemes that make computer screens more readable. As a result, millions of people with disabilities can now pursue diverse careers and participate fully in their communities. But that's not all: Accessible technology also helps businesses succeed.
Top companies use accessible technology to retain valued employees and to recruit from a wider pool of talented candidates. To see why, consider the following numbers.
More than 500 million people worldwide have some kind of permanent disability, including 54 million Americans who find it difficult to perform one or more everyday activities, according to Census Bureau estimates. This is nearly one in five Americans, an enormous resource of talent and expertise that employers cannot afford to overlook.
In addition, every year millions of workers suffer injury or illness that causes a temporary impairment. Technology enables many of these people to continue at their jobs, allowing employers to avoid the cost and disruption of finding and training others.
And the workforce in industrialized countries is graying. By the year 2008, one in six American workers will be 55 or older. Gradual loss of some vision, hearing and dexterity is a natural part of aging that will make the value of accessible technology increasingly significant for people and businesses.
Glenn Higgins has been quadriplegic since he was 17, when he was injured in a wrestling accident. Today, 36 years later, he holds a Ph.D. in neuropsychology and serves as vice president and medical director for UnumProvident, a $9.4-billion provider of disability insurance.
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| Glenn Higgins |
Dr. Higgins succeeds in his high-level job through a combination of talent, hard work and technology. His tools include a personal computer equipped with speech recognition software and a puff-stick, which resembles a drinking straw but operates like a mouse when he "puffs" on it with his mouth. Aided by technology, Dr. Higgins spends his days like any other busy executive in his field—meeting with clients, reviewing files and writing reports.
With people like Glenn Higgins and Willie Jones in mind, Microsoft works to extend the accessibility of each new version of Windows, Microsoft Office and other key software products. Our researchers seek to perfect computerized speech recognition and text-to-speech synthesis. We collaborate with other industry leaders to develop new technologies for people with disabilities. And we have published a new book, Accessible Technology in Today's Business, with case studies and practical tools to help organizations knock down barriers and empower their employees.
We foresee a day when technology will help overcome all barriers caused by disabilities and the limitations of age. And that will make life better for everyone.
