The Future is Accessible

A woman uses WeWalk in the street

International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) is a day for us all to observe and promote an understanding of disability issues around the world, and to build support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of people with disabilities.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Not all disabilities are visible from the outside and include everything from mobile restrictions and vision loss to learning disorders.

The role of technology for a more accessible future

The theme of IDPWD 2019 is “The Future is Accessible”, and creating a more accessible future ties directly to our mission statement to empower every person to achieve more. We understand the powerful role that technology plays and that’s why we continually innovate, create, and design with inclusion and accessibility in mind to tear down the barriers people with disabilities face every day.

Advancements in AI enable us to amplify human ingenuity like never before, making assistive technologies smarter, more useful, and available to everyone. Examples of our solutions include Seeing AI, Helpicto, and Microsoft Translator.

Not just about our technology

Creating an accessible future for everyone isn’t just about tools and technology, it includes looking at other challenges people with disabilities face like employment, daily life, and connecting with the world around them.

For example, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is roughly double that of people without disabilities, so we need to work together to create more inclusive workplaces. We must continue to drive awareness, change societal stereotypes and create a safe environment for people with and without disabilities. If we empower each other regardless of background and ability to bring all our expertise to the table, we can drive further innovation together.

See stories of people with disabilities in every part and every level of our organisation discussing their personal journey.

Community engagement and partnerships

We also know we can’t do it alone. Therefore we must actively engage the community and our partners to learn together and advocate for people with disabilities. Building partnerships, listening, asking, and learning is the most effective path forward to create positive change for everyone.

We have recently kicked off a programme called AI for Accessibility – a five-year, $25 million programme that enables partners to build new solutions on cloud and AI platforms and accelerate development by knowledge sharing with Microsoft engineers. Together with our partners, we can create empowering experiences for people with disabilities in our communities and around the world.

Young Guru Academy (YGA), a non-profit founded in Turkey and an AI for Accessibility grantee, developed a smart cane for the visually impaired called WeWALK. By transforming the traditional white cane into a more innovative and smart version, WeWALK helps the visually impaired to move more independently and safely with greater obstacle detection. The product also includes Bluetooth pairing to phone with voice assistant and Google Maps integration.

How you can get more involved

If you are unsure of what you can do to help empower people with disabilities, ask questions and seek out information. The more we ask questions and have a willingness to learn and grow, the better off we will all be.

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