Accessibility - Google News - Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:32 AM
Microsoft's chief accessibility officer: 'We're at the tip of the iceberg for
what's possible with tech'
At Microsoft<https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/microsoft>’s annual Future
Decoded event in London this year, accessibility was a big topic of
conversation.
On stage, Microsoft demonstrated some of the innovations it has made in the
space this year, such as its adaptive Xbox
controller<https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller>
designed specifically for gamers with limited mobility and a new hiring
programme for people with autism who were being left behind in the traditional
recruitment process.
At the core of this mission to use tech to empower people with disabilities is
Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer, Jenny Lay-Flurrie.
Deaf from a young age after a bout of measles, Lay-Flurrie says disability has
always been a vein in her life and she’s used these experiences to promote a
welcoming, collaborative space at Microsoft which has led to some incredible
innovations.
“Accessibility is a challenge for some but also a massive opportunity,” she
tells the Standard. “I think tech can truly empower and we’re at the tip of the
iceberg of what’s possible and the innovation possibilities are ridiculous.”
Lay-Flurrie has been part of Microsoft since 2005 when she came in to work on
Hotmail. After getting involved with the company’s group for deaf workers,
Lay-Flurrie ended up chairing a wider disability group for 10 years.
[https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/08/30/16/accomable-paper-upload-30-08.jpg]<https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/how-accomable-has-expanded-horizons-for-disabled-travellers-a3923926.html>
How Accomable has expanded horizons for disabled travellers
“There were a lot of conversations in that group: how do I bring myself to work
by myself, how do I talk to my manager, and I learnt an enormous amount by
being part of that community,” she says.
As she became more and more invested in the space, she moved into focusing on
accessibility full-time at Microsoft, before becoming the company’s CAO three
years ago.
The thing about tech and accessibility, for Lay-Flurrie, is that creating
accessible tech isn’t just about people with disabilities, inclusive features
should work for everyone.
“I was on the tube yesterday and when I lived in London 10 years ago, everyone
was reading books. Now everyone is looking at their phones, and it’s amazing
the number of people watching videos with captions,” she says. “That’s the
power of accessibility – it benefits everyone.”
Why accessibility is a major focus at Microsoft
When a new product is made at Microsoft, Lay-Flurrie says it’s “crucial” that
people with disabilities are included in the design, build and testing of their
products.
[https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/09/20/12/Google-Campus2-.jpg]<https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/google-campus-london-residency-tech-for-good-a3941291.html>
The new Google Campus residency is all about tech for good
For instance, PowerPoint now includes an Accessibility
Checker<https://support.office.com/en-us/article/make-your-powerpoint-presentations-accessible-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-dae3b2b3ef25>
so that when you’re building a presentation, you can ensure it is accessible
for everyone, whether they have low vision, are visually impaired, or autism.
But it’s the blockbuster projects that Microsoft has worked on recently that
are truly pushing the boundary on what’s possible with technology.
Earlier this year, the company released a new app called
Soundscape<http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8770160/type/dlg/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/product/soundscape/>.
This uses 3D audio cues to help people with visual impairments to navigate the
world, providing context to their environment and lets them build a mental map
of the space around them.
“The original vision from Amos Miller, the guy who created it, was that he
could wake up on a Sunday morning and decide he wanted to go to London and
visit the Natural History Museum and just do it,” explains Lay-Flurrie.
“Instead of having to plan and understand the routes because that can take
hours.”
Microsoft worked alongside the Guide Dogs
UK<https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2913&id=222025&p=https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/>
to create Soundscape, which anyone can download for free from the App
Store<http://buy.geni.us/Proxy.ashx?tsid=3927&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fgb%2Fapp%2Fmicrosoft-soundscape%2Fid1240320677%3Fmt%3D8>.
The company also holds a yearly hackathon, which brings together people from
across Microsoft to build accessible products. The first event in 2014 saw 10
projects get the green light. That increased to 250 at this year's event.
The Xbox controllers came out of the accessibility hackathon as well as a new
version of Soundscape, called Paddlepalooza. The team behind this set auditory
beacons up on a lake and the blind community were invited to kayak around the
course, using the tech to facilitate a social sport.
“The opportunity to ditch every meeting, hibernate in an enclosed space, and
wallow in problems and solutions is really fun,” says Lay-Flurrie. “But for me,
the bigger impact is the cultural impact. People walk in with often very little
knowledge of accessibility but walk away with an understanding of how to
design, how to think about it, and the language. They can then take this back
to their day job.”
An AI-powered future
The future of accessibility tech though lies in artificial intelligence (AI).
This year, it established a $25 million grant programme, named AI for
Accessibility, for projects that use technology to empower people with
disabilities.
For instance, Microsoft’s Translator tool uses AI to provide real-time captions
for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This speech-to-text tech is used in
classrooms around the US.
One student, John Adjei,
said<https://blogs.microsoft.com/ai/ai-powered-captioning/> he also uses the
Microsoft Translator app on his phone when talking to friends outside of class.
“Sometimes when we have conversations they speak too fast and I can’t lip read
them. So, I just grab the phone and we do it that way so I can get what is
going on.”
[https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/11/02/16/jenny-lay-flurrie-2.jpg]
Jenny Lay-Flurrie on stage at Microsoft Future Decoded this year (Microsoft)
“It’s revolutionary for me, as someone who relies on it,” explains Lay-Flurrie.
“[But] I think we need to accelerate innovation in this space. Whether you’re a
small company or innovating in your garage, we want to give you access to some
of that AI infrastructure to help you create the next fun thing.”
On stage at Microsoft Future Decoded and in person, it’s easy to see
Lay-Flurrie’s passion for her work. From her days as a volunteer at a special
school, she says that disability has always been a part of her life.
“In some ways, my parents think this always the role that I should have gone
for, but sometimes you have a journey to get there,” she adds.
More about: | Microsoft<https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/microsoft> | Tech for
Good<https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/tech-for-good> | Women in
Tech<https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/women-in-tech> | Artificial
Intelligence<https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/artificial-intelligence>
https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/microsoft-chief-accessibility-officer-jenny-lay-flurrie-women-in-tech-a3979511.html
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info<http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
