Accessibility Resources for Education

For more than 20 years, Microsoft has been committed to building accessibility into our products and services, and we are equally dedicated to providing accessibility resources for both students and educators. An estimated 186 million children with disabilities worldwide have not completed their primary school education. Microsoft believes accessible technology can provide educational opportunities to students with disabilities and learning-style differences. 

The Trustworthy Computing (TwC) and the Partners in Learning (PiL) teams are working together to grow Microsoft’s commitment to accessibility solutions for education by listening to what teachers need, and then creating the relevant accessibility materials. In response, Microsoft recently published new resources including curriculum resources, a teacher training workshop, and a series of case studies and videos that illustrate success stories of students with special needs who are using Microsoft accessibility solutions in school.

Students with disabilities and learning-style differences face unique challenges in learning and in life. Accessible technology can provide educational opportunities to students with disabilities. Accessibility and personalization features in Microsoft products and services ensure that all students have the opportunity to enhance learning with technology. Microsoft is dedicated to building accessibility into our products and services, and providing accessibility resources for educators.

Below is a series of resources that Microsoft has developed to aid teachers and students address some of these challenges in the classroom. These is also a guide to accessibility and a training workshop for teachers which is a great resource for anyone who wished to lead an introductory session to accessibility in a PD day or evening. Before checking out the resources, please take a couple of minutes to watch this great story from Chile.

Inspiring story from Chile

• Guide - Accessibility: A Guide for Educators available for download in English
• Curriculum Resources - Curriculum Resources for Special Education for Windows 7 and Office 2010
• Workshop - Accessibility Teacher Training Workshop
• Five ways to make a PC easier to see
• Four ways to make a PC easier to hear
• Four ways to help a student control the mouse
• Six ways to help students stay focused
• Five ways to help dyslexic students get organized
• Three ways to create accessible teaching materials
• Three ways to create digital talking books for students with disabilities using Microsoft Word

Visit Microsoft Accessibility in the Classroom for the full range of resources available www.microsoft.com/education/enable/