5 Elements that make Windows 11 accessible for all
Accessible technology can unlock opportunities in every part of society and promote equity. A more accessible Windows experience has the power to help tackle the “disability divide” — to contribute to more education and employment opportunities for people with disabilities across the world.
Windows 11 was redesigned for productivity, creativity, and ease of use. While it will feel familiar, with a Desktop, Start menu, Search, Taskbar, Settings, here are some key elements of Windows 11 that makes it the most accessible Windows till date.
1. Accessibility was considered from the design stage, with inclusive design reviews of new and redesigned features. Designing for accessibility with and for people with disabilities, Microsoft employed Trusted Tester conformance tests, usability tests and other processes to help ensure Windows 11 is accessible
2. Windows 11 offers familiar assistive technologies like Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions and Windows Speech Recognition to support users across the disability spectrum. Windows 11 includes delightful Windows start-up and other sounds, including different sounds for more accessible light and dark themes. People with light sensitivity and people working for extended periods of time can enjoy beautiful color themes, including new dark themes and reimagined high contrast themes. The new contrast themes include aesthetically pleasing, customizable color combinations that make apps and content easier to see
3. Deaf and hard of hearing, language learners can enjoy redesigned closed caption themes that are easier to read and customize. And, multiple sets of users can enjoy Windows Voice Typing, which uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to recognize speech, transcribe and automatically punctuate text
4. Introducing new features and making user’s preferred assistive technology compatible with Windows 11, Microsoft redesigned the Accessibility Settings to make them easier to use. Accessibility features are available in the out of box experience and on the Log on and Lock screens so that users can independently setup and use their devices, e.g., with Narrator
5. Windows 11 will also support Linux GUI apps like gedit through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on devices that meet the app system requirements. They enabled these experiences to be accessible.
