Leaders - Microsoft
Microsoft's mission is to "empower every person and every organization on the planet" – and accessibility is key to this mission. Since the 1990s, the company has been incorporating accessibility features into its products, believing that technology should serve everyone, regardless of ability. Today, with over 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide, this mission is strengthened by new tools: artificial intelligence (AI) gives us new capabilities to realize the vision of a barrier-free world.
One of the most well-known solutions is Seeing AI – a free digital assistant supporting blind and low-vision people. It can describe surroundings, recognize faces, texts and objects, and thanks to generative AI, can also interpret photos or documents in detail. "Technology should adapt to people, not the other way around" – says Neil Barnett from Microsoft. Seeing AI also gives people with visual impairments independence, enabling them to independently "hear" the world around them.
AI also supports everyday work and learning. Microsoft 365 Copilot – an assistant in Word, Outlook and Teams applications – helps summarize long messages, extract key points from meetings or suggest simpler formulations. For people with dyslexia, ADHD or concentration difficulties, such support can be life-changing. EY studies show that over 90% of employees with disabilities consider Microsoft Copilot a technology that supports inclusivity and effectiveness.
In Microsoft's solutions, accessibility also means easier communication: live captions and transcriptions in Microsoft Teams, improved Voice Access in Windows or the "Read aloud" function in Microsoft Edge browser. The same tools that support people with sensory impairments improve work comfort for all users – demonstrating that accessibility is simply good usability.
Artificial intelligence also supports culture and entertainment. A joint project between Microsoft and Rijksmuseum generates descriptions of artworks, allowing blind people to experience the museum's collection in a new way. In gaming, Microsoft Gaming Copilot – a virtual assistant for players – makes gameplay easier without taking away its emotion.
These examples show that accessibility is not an add-on, but a source of innovation. AI becomes an extension of human senses and capabilities, helping to build a barrier-free world. As Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft, emphasizes: "Accessibility is a fundamental right and a continuous process of improvement." This approach is inspiring – because a world designed without barriers is simply better for everyone.