Microsoft Ability Summit 2025: Navigating Accessibility in the Age of AI

We had an exciting day hosting the 15th annual Microsoft Ability Summit, where a whopping 20,000 participants from 164 countries tuned in virtually. The focus was on the intersection of AI and accessibility, two areas close to Microsoft’s heart. For over 30 years, we’ve been planting seeds for accessibility, starting with features in Windows 95, and now advancing with AI-driven innovations. It’s inspiring to see how people with disabilities are leading this charge.

Accessibility isn’t just a priority; it’s a fundamental right. Improving technology for people with disabilities often makes it better for everyone. This is evident when we see how Microsoft technologies are being utilized globally. For instance, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is becoming a game-changer in office productivity. Every month, over 10 million people use Edge’s Read Aloud feature to navigate the web, while more than a million depend on the Immersive Reader to simplify webpage reading. Partners like Tobii Dynavox and Special Olympics are leveraging AI to impact lives worldwide. These tidbits were only part of what we unveiled today!

Let me take you through some of the exciting new accessibility products and initiatives we introduced at this year’s Ability Summit.

What’s new in 2025?

We have some thrilling news—the Xbox Adaptive Joystick is now available exclusively at the Microsoft Store. With over 429 million players with disabilities globally, we know it’s crucial to offer tailored options for their diverse gaming styles. The Xbox Adaptive Joystick, designed for individuals with limited mobility, provides a versatile experience and can blend effortlessly into existing gaming setups. This latest addition complements our range of adaptive accessories, including our mouse, pen, adaptive kit, and Xbox Adaptive Controller. For more insights, check out Xbox Support.

Moreover, Microsoft is ensuring that all our hardware packaging is not just eco-friendly, but also accessible. Gone are the days of cumbersome plastic clamshells! The Packaging and Content Team at Microsoft released an Accessible Packaging Design Guide at today’s Summit. This guide provides essential guidelines, best practices, and strategies to ensure packaging fosters a positive customer experience.

Microsoft teams and partners showcased their advancements in technology-driven accessibility efforts at the Summit:

• Tobii Dynavox is embedding Microsoft Neural Voice, a gem of Azure AI Speech, into their assistive communication devices. This innovation offers personalized experiences for those using eye gaze technology. Neural Voices are accessible in 50+ languages within their apps, TD Talk and TD Phone.

• Microsoft Teams is gearing up for an enhancement for users of Sign Language View. By the end of the year, Teams will identify when sign language is used and focus on the signer during meetings—a step forward in ensuring clear and inclusive communication.

• Copilot isn’t just assisting neurodiverse talent—it’s empowering them. A recent EY study highlighted that Copilot aided 76% of neurodiverse employees in enhancing their work performance, boosting communication, memory recall, and focus. At the Summit, we showcased how simple features like Team Reflow and PowerPoint Designer are streamlining workflows. We also shared stories from New York-based early adopters of Copilot.

When it comes to AI in Narrator, we’re excited to roll out AI-driven rich image descriptions to Narrator under Windows Insider Preview. Additionally, Azure AI Foundry announced new user interface improvements aimed at easing cognitive load.

Our Accessibility Skilling program has witnessed over 5 million learners globally. We’re backed by esteemed partners like Teach Access, Computacenter UK, and the City of New York. This free, online training, brimming with the latest on AI, is adaptable for organizations to integrate into their learning management systems.

We’ve seen speech recognition technology improve accuracy by up to 60%, thanks to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign-led Speech Accessibility Project. This paved the way for developers using the Azure platform and GitHub Copilot to craft accessible code.

The Special Olympics shared how Copilot transformed into an invaluable training ally for their coaches and athletes ahead of the Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

Every bit of progress is driven by visionaries dedicated to accessibility in tech design. It’s a rewarding process, crafting technology that elevates everyone’s experience. Take, for instance, Dave Dame, our Senior Director of Accessibility and Human Factors at Microsoft. He eloquently shared how accessible tech has bolstered his leadership journey.

Onward

For more than three decades, accessibility has been central to our product development at Microsoft. Not only does it enhance our tech’s operability, but it also drives global innovation. From introducing Sticky Keys in Windows 95 to unleashing Seeing AI in 2016, the positive ripple effects of our efforts are immense. Think about how essential closed captions have become for anyone watching videos.

AI holds unparalleled promise for our economies and societies. We’re committed to harnessing this potential responsibly, ensuring the latest tech reaches those who stand to gain the most.

We hope, whether it was your first or fifteenth Ability Summit, that you learned something new that’ll help you or your community maximize technology’s benefits. The entire collection of summit content is available for viewing post-event.

Let’s stride into the future, together.