November 25, 2024
Volume 22, issue 5

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Driving Organizational Accessibility

People often ask about the secret sauce behind Microsoft's approach to accessibility and inclusion. It's simple: We run it like a business.

Vinnie Donati

In this article we'll explore how Microsoft drives accessibility throughout its organization and we'll look closely at essential frameworks and practices that promote an inclusive culture. Through examining aspects like awareness building, strategic development, accessibility maturity modeling, and more, we aim to offer a guide for organizations starting their accessibility journey. The idea is to share what we've learned in the hope that you can take it, tweak it to fit your company's purpose, and nurture accessibility in a way that's not just a checkbox activity but genuinely integrated into your culture.

For most people, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible. —Mary Pat Radabaugh (National Council on Disability, 1993)

Essential Framework for Organizational Accessibility

Vision and commitment

The business case for accessibility

Accessibility is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of Microsoft's commitment to its mission: to empower every person and organization to achieve more.

There are more than 1.3 billion people worldwide living with disabilities per the World Health Organization.²⁰ The statistics tell us that just five percent of people are born with disabilities, with the majority "joining the community" because of multiple factors, from disease to accident and age. This community depends on accessibility. In many ways, we'll all need accessibility at some point in our lives. With the reality of temporary disabilities (a broken leg) and situational disabilities (anxiety about an upcoming meeting, or being in a loud environment), there are also scenarios where technology and accessibility can assist. This concept—of disability being temporary, situational, or permanent, and accessibility being fundamental to assisting—is core to how we operate.

Why does this matter? We're living in an increasingly connected world, and access to technology is fundamental to an equitable future. In school, at work, and in daily life, people are relying on technology to deliver. These changes, however, can put millions of people at risk of being excluded or left behind if they don't have the right technology—technology can exclude people if not designed for everyone.

Accessibility is the vehicle to enable inclusion of people with disabilities—permanent, temporary, or situational. This is how Microsoft can fulfill its mission and deliver the transformative potential of technology. This is accessibility as a fundamental right: when everyone has the tools and resources they need to thrive. People with disabilities represent one of the world's largest untapped talent pools, yet the disability divide continues to grow.

In 2016, the World Bank coined the term disability divide¹⁷ when identifying the gaps in societal inclusion that exist for people with disabilities. As the study notes, "Accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can level the playing field for persons with disabilities across life domains including education, employment, e-governance and civic participation, financial inclusion, and disaster management."

Considering this divide, let's look at some employment data. In January 2024, data from the United States Department of Labor (figure 1) shows the unemployment rate is more than double for people with disabilities versus those without a disability (7.6% vs. 3.3%)¹⁹ despite one of the highest labor-force participation rates for people with disabilities ages 16-64 (40.5%) since the Department of Labor began tracking this information in 2008.

Figure 1. Line graph. From 2018 to 2024, the change in laborforce participation of people with disabilities has increased from 0 to 8 percent, while that of people without disabilities has stayed relatively stable at 0 percent.

Did you know...

Per Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, it is legal to pay people with disabilities wages less than the federal minimum wage in the U.S., and companies in 38 states are operating with a 14 (c) certificate.

In 2019, Microsoft added language to its code of conduct to eliminate subminimum wage as a practice in its Supported Employment Program.¹⁴

We have a responsibility to help close this divide. We take this responsibility seriously and believe we have a role in how. The need is clear

• By 2050, 1.3 billion people²¹ will need AT (assistive technology), including two-thirds of the global population over age 60.

• Only 4 percent²² of businesses are focused on making offerings inclusive of disabled people.

The focus here isn't just about empowering society. Research has shown companies that hire, support, and promote disabled talent financially outperform¹ their peers. This was proven in a 2018 study conducted in partnership with Accenture, Disability: IN,⁵ and the American Association of People with Disabilities.³ It was determined that the 45 companies identified as standing out for their leadership in areas specific to disability-employment and inclusion had on average, over the four-year period: 28 percent higher revenue; two times net income; and 30 percent higher economic profit margins than their peers.

Accenture disability inclusion report

The business case for accessibility is undeniable,² and as we dive deeper into the details of driving accessibility at the organizational level, it becomes clear that obtaining leadership commitment is a key component of achieving scalable accessibility in an organization.

Leadership commitment

The first question we get from customers is, Where do we start? There are many places to start, but my first question is always about leadership support. It's important that leadership buys into the need, opportunity, vision, and business case for accessibility in any organization. Depending on the organization and company culture, this could take many forms.

Our accessibility program was born out of a passion for disability inclusion and accessibility. The company had an accessibility lead, and disability employee groups came together to drive accessibility into our products. Our disability employee resource group (ERG) was created in 2006, and 10 years later the accessibility program was born. This version of accessibility at Microsoft is more than 30 years in the making and has taken many shapes and forms over that time.

As we say, Accessibility is a journey. The key is to bring along your leadership and organization in a way that will resonate with them most. Your business case is part of that, but the opportunity for impact and your vision for the program are what will truly make the difference.

People and culture

You have the business case, and now you've secured leadership buy-in, but the job is not done. At the heart of any meaningful discussion is the ecosystem—the connection between people with disabilities, and empowering talent, that will ultimately inform your accessibility program. People are key pillars to your approach, considering both your employees and the company's workforce and the community that accessibility serves:

Are the employees at your company familiar with accessibility?
Do they understand the impact technology can have on the lives of people with disabilities?
Does your organization provide resources for employees with disabilities?

If you're not sure about the answers to any of these questions, then the broad answer is no. That's not a fun spot to be in. You have work ahead, but we've got some insight to share on where you can start. We've found aligning our company culture with our accessibility vision has been key.

Encourage Self-ID: We value the connection between our people and our mission. As a technology company, empowering disabled talent allows us not only to deliver on inclusive and accessible goods, but also to drive innovation. Take, for example, the Surface Adaptive Kit,¹⁵ Microsoft Adaptive Accessories,¹¹ Game Accessibility Feature Tags,¹² Copilot,⁶ and the suite of new accessibility features in Windows 11⁷—these were all influenced by employees with disabilities. This is why each October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month,¹⁸ Microsoft asks all its employees to answer a confidential and voluntary question about their disability status. These insights help inform how the company evolves employee benefits, workplace accommodations, and campus accessibility.

Integrating accessibility into your company's culture lays a strong foundation for broader initiatives. While it may seem like a massive undertaking (surprise, it is a massive undertaking), commencing with one of these steps and gradually gaining momentum is a great start. We're still learning every day.

Plan and execute

Build your strategy

Developing an effective accessibility strategy is as important as any other business strategy, requiring planning and integration into the broader organizational framework to be successful. Each organization is going to have unique requirements and approaches here, so I'm sharing some broad ideas to start, and then providing details and examples in each for context. So, while all may not apply to your org, consider the following phases as points of reference for your strategy:

Phase 1—Integrate accessibility into all processes to create, maintain, and advance accessibility. Commit to regular accessibility checks in emails, use alternative texts on social media, embrace accessible digital meeting tools, and stay updated on system features to cultivate inclusive routines and strengthen your company's commitment.

Phase 2—Create culture change. Weave accessibility into the fabric of your organization. Foster open conversations about accessibility. Don't be afraid to say the words disability or disabled. Organize (accessible) events that spotlight accessibility topics (like our annual Ability Summit⁸), hire disabled talent, and establish disability ERGs led by individuals with disabilities. The diverse experiences and perspectives people with disabilities bring with them are invaluable.

Phase 3—Grow knowledge and skills. Accessibility training is the foundation for creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can access the information, tools, and services they need. It helps employees understand the needs and preferences of people with disabilities as well as the legal and ethical obligations of the organization to provide accessible solutions. By raising awareness and building skills, accessibility training can foster a culture of empathy, innovation, and collaboration, and improve the quality and usability of the products and services the organization offers. Steps you can take:

Identify roles and responsibilities. Begin by clearly defining roles and responsibilities in your organization.
Assess employee skills. Gather data to understand the skill levels of your employees.
Provide basic concept training. Conduct mandatory training to build awareness about accessibility and disability.
Implement role-based accessibility learning. Provide relevant training for employees on creating and maintaining accessible solutions in their scope.
Gather feedback and assess. Collect feedback on employee learning and conduct follow-up assessments or surveys to evaluate the effectiveness and identify areas of opportunity.

You are on your way to implementing an accessibility strategy in your organization. This is great, but there's more to do. To demonstrate commitment to your strategy, it's important to establish a clear and consistent policy that guides your actions and reflects your commitments. The next section addresses how to develop an accessibility policy and how to monitor and measure your accessibility performance.

Establish your accessibility policy

An accessibility policy is a document that outlines your organization's vision, goals, and commitments regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities. It should align with your overall mission and values as well as relevant laws and standards. Developing an accessibility policy can help you establish a clear direction, assign roles and responsibilities, set expectations and priorities, and measure progress and outcomes.

To create an effective policy, you should consult with internal and external stakeholders and review best practices and examples from other organizations. Your policy should be concise, comprehensive, and transparent, and it should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changing needs, regulations, and feedback.

Monitor and measure your accessibility performance

The old saying, "What gets measured gets done," is true in business, and it absolutely applies in the accessibility world. Tracking progress, creating long-term plans, and assessing the maturity of your company's accessibility program over time are all critical to the success of any accessibility program.

One of Microsoft's best documents related to advancing accessibility in the organization is its Accessibility Evolution Model¹⁰ (figure 2). The model provides a practical illustration, employing eight dimensions against which you can evaluate your accessibility trajectory.

Figure 2. Microsoft's accessibility evolution model (AEM) is based on models from Carnegie Mellon and Level Access. The five levels are displayed as a progression from level 1 to level 5. Level 1 has no assessment. Level 2 is reactive. Level 3 is defined. Level 4 is optimized. Level 5 is an innovator / game changer.

Each dimension is graded from level 1 to level 5, reflecting the depth of commitment to accessibility as a core value. As you progress through each level, the rigor and commitment to accessibility gets higher.

We weren't always on top of things, though, and one of our accessibility team's biggest regrets is not documenting and measuring as much as we could have. We're now on our 14^th Ability Summit, mentioned earlier, and reflecting on those early days, when we were small, we made no record of the planning materials, attendees, pain points, or lessons learned. So, before you get too far along, please don't make the same mistakes. Document your work, document your journey, and stay humble/hungry.

Organizational structure

Applying an accessibility model to your company's work establishes clear expectations, guiding you from the current state to future possibilities. It's equally important to have an organizational structure that supports your model. Our accessibility team operates in a hub-and-spoke model (figure 3). While we have a core accessibility team, our org structure is built in such a way that accessibility is woven into the fabric of many of our other departments. There are people dedicated to accessibility in engineering, marketing, sales, HR, and more. This helps us to scale accessibility and ultimately fuel and facilitate game-changing innovation.

Figure 3. A wheel-shaped diagram with accessibility at the center, and engineering, marketing, sales, procurement, HR, and support around it.

Remember, creating a sustainable culture of accessibility is not one-size-fits-all. Tailor your program to your organization's dynamics for integration into your DNA.

Assess and document

Test and validate

You'll need to test the accessibility of your offerings. If you're just starting out, we recommend using tools like Accessibility Insights for the web to identify and fix accessibility issues in your product. Conduct manual testing, checking elements like contrast, language attributes, and keyboard navigation, ensuring an inclusive experience for users with diverse needs. This will take time and will require cross-organization collaboration. Remember, accessibility is a journey, and it's critical to have accessibility champions across the enterprise supporting these efforts.

Conformance reports

Each organization has its own reporting requirements. It's important you understand these requirements and report appropriately to meet your organizational and legal obligations. These requirements are primarily driven by policy, but it's also important to note that the accessibility of your products and services can make or break a sale to customers with disabilities. Customers expect this level of transparency to make informed decisions when purchasing your products.

To learn more about how Microsoft documents the degree of conformance to global accessibility standards, check out Accessibility Conformance Reports | Microsoft Accessibility.⁹

Share your journey

Storytelling is one of our favorite ways to share progress. It fosters community, understanding, and connection with employees, customers, and stakeholders. It goes a long way toward humanizing our technology, making it more accessible, especially for those who aren't tech experts. We employ "the five P's of storytelling" ⁴ to craft compelling accessibility narratives.

Telling a good story is a strong way to support accessibility. It takes accessibility from being something abstract to a real-life experience with actual people and their unique perspectives at the center. Personal stories turn accessibility into something relatable and showcase how much it matters.

Check out our latest Copilot Employee Stories,¹⁶ which provide excellent examples of the power of storytelling.

Sustain and advance accessibility

Incorporate user feedback

As technology evolves, so do the needs and expectations of people with disabilities. Remember, accessibility is not a one-time effort, and it's essential to review and enhance your accessibility program. What you have today will not look like what you have a year from now. We've made a couple wrong turns in the past, and as a result, have found the best way of aligning our program with the needs of our customers with disabilities is through partnership with and seeking feedback from the disability community. Put this into practice and you'll gain valuable insights, enhance inclusion and accessibility, and build trust.

Microsoft's Disability Answer Desk¹³ is a great example, showcasing how organizations can create more engaging, empowering, and accessible experiences for everyone when they adopt a user-centric approach to accessibility.

Innovate for the future

Lastly, leverage the power of innovation. Innovation can help create new solutions and enhance existing ones. By embracing a culture of innovation, you can foster an environment where creativity, experimentation, and collaboration are encouraged and supported. Innovation can also help you discover new opportunities, reach new markets, and empower more users with disabilities. We believe that accessibility is a driver of innovation and a catalyst for social change.

We are constantly exploring new ways to advance accessibility through cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI and cloud computing.

References

1. Accenture. https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Disability-Inclusion-Report-Business-Imperative.pdf.

2. Accenture. Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage. 2018. https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Disability-Inclusion-Report-Business-Imperative.pdf.

3. American Association of People with Disabilities. https://www.aapd.com/.

4. Clayton, S. The art and craft of storytelling. https://www.mesaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/The-5-Ps-of-Microsofts-Storytelling.pdf.

5. Disability:IN. https://disabilityin.org/.

6. GitHub. Copilot. https://github.com/features/copilot/.

7. Hernandez, C. How inclusion drives innovation in Windows 11. 2022. https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2022/09/20/how-inclusion-drives-innovation-in-windows-11/.

8. Microsoft. Ability Summit. https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2023/03/08/accessibility-annual-ability-summit-people-partnership-policy/.

9. Microsoft. Accessibility Conformance Reports. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/conformance-reports.

10. Microsoft. Accessibility Evolution Model: Creating Clarity in your Accessibility Journey. https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/accessibility-evolution-model/.

11. Microsoft. Accessible accessories. Accessible accessories. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/accessible-adaptive-devices-accessories.

12. Microsoft. Game Accessibility Feature Tags. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/11/16/game-accessibility-feature-tags-now-available/.

13. Microsoft. Accessibility tips. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Accessibility/disability-answer-desk?activetab=contact-pivot%3aprimaryr8.

14. Microsoft. Supported Employment. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/supportedemployment?activetab=pivot_1%3aprimaryr2.

15. Microsoft. Surface Adaptive Kit. https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/surface-adaptive-kit/.

16. MSFTEnable. Copilot and Accessibility. 2023. https://youtu.be/EKMgW5X5egY?si=SjKGIgGlM-YpE2RT.

17. Raja, D. S. Bridging the Disability Divide through Digital Technologies. 2016. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability.

18. U.S. Department of Labor. National Disability Employment Awareness Month. 2024. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam.

19. U.S. Department of Labor. Disability Employment Statistics. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/research-evaluation/statistics.

20. WHO. Disability. 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health.

21. WHO. Global report on assistive technology. 2022. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564182.

22. World Economic Forum. Closing the disability inclusion gap with business leadership. 2022. https://www.weforum.org/impact/disability-inclusion/.

Vinnie Donati is the Director of Business Management for Accessibility at Microsoft. He is passionate about driving organizational accessibility and has extensive experience in fostering inclusive practices in tech environments. Dedicated to ensuring accessibility as a core value in all business operations and strategies, he leads initiatives that champion inclusion and equity.

Originally published in Queue vol. 22, no. 5—
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