In honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Windows reflects on its progress in making Windows 11 the most inclusive yet. The Windows Accessibility team launched new features, expanded language support, enhanced text editing in voice access, and focused on delivering reliable experiences. Bullet points:
A Year in Recap: Windows Accessibility
Reflecting on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate the strides made in making Windows 11 the most inclusive version of Windows yet. The commitment to providing inclusive and enjoyable experiences for Windows customers remains strong.
Nothing About Us, Without Us
The Windows Accessibility team lives by the principle, “nothing about us without us,” emphasizing the creation of products that empower everyone. New and exciting features were launched last September through the Windows 11 2022 Update, and with valuable feedback, these experiences have been significantly improved.
“Nothing about us, without us”
Expanded Language Support for Live Captions and Narrator
Following appreciation for Live Captions and the new Narrator natural voices, they have been made available in more languages. Live Captions now supports 10 additional languages spanning 21 locales, and Narrator voices are now available in eight new languages and 10 locales.
Enhanced Text Editing in Voice Access
Changes have been implemented to improve the text editing experience in voice access, including corrections and spellings, making it simpler to correct recognition errors and dictate complex and non-standard words. The in-app command help page has also been refreshed for easier learning of different voice access commands.
Reliable Experiences – A Focus on Fundamentals
Consistent experiences across assistive technologies like voice access and Narrator remain a priority. Interaction commands now work across different control types, windowing commands across different application windows, and text insertion/dictation across different apps.
Narrator Enhancements and More Braille Displays Support
Narrator has been enhanced to support more Braille displays, including three new designed for Surface displays from Humanware. Other improvements include fixes in announcements, scan mode, and further improvement of Narrator with Braille.
Accessibility Settings That Follow You – Support on More Windows Surfaces
With the announcement about Windows Backup, moving Assistive Technology settings to your new Windows 11 PC has never been easier. The compatibility and availability of Assistive Technology have been proactively enhanced, ensuring a smooth and effective experience on a wider range of Windows surfaces.
“We have proactively enhanced the compatibility and availability of our Assistive Technology, ensuring a smooth and effective experience on a wider range of Windows surfaces.”
From the Windows Blog
