Message from Microsoft June 11, 1998 Microsoft continues commitment to Windows accessibility with tools to help visually impaired users Recent agreement with euroBRAILLE seeks to provide solutions for people who are blind or have low vision Redmond, WA - Technology can make the impossible possible for people living with disabilities. That's why Microsoft has teamed up with euroBRAILLE to make the Microsoft Windows operating system more accessible for people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or have poor vision. The two companies will work together to develop the Microsoft Screen Access Model (MSAM), a set of technologies that helps software developers create higher-quality accessibility utilities. The recent announcement is just one in a series of actions that reflect Microsoft's ongoing commitment to make its products accessible for all. "This is about providing technology access to people who truly depend on their computers in their personal and professional lives," said Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates at a Microsoft accessibility conference held last February. "We want to address accessibility issues at every stage of product development, resulting in products that are easier to use and, ultimately, more empowering for all customers." MSAM is designed to do just that. The technology will be compatible with the Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT® 4.0 and upcoming Windows NT 5.0 operating systems. It provides developers with new ways of accessing and storing information from the graphical user interface "something software developers have stumbled over in the past" as well as new standard interfaces for using braille and speech output. EuroBRAILLE, a French company that develops and manufactures adaptation devices for visually impaired people, is already designing accessibility aids with MSAM components that allow blind users to navigate Windows with a braille device or with speech. It's what adaptive technology is all about. "For many people with disabilities, access to current computer technology means the difference between working and not working, communicating and not communicating," said Sam Jadallah, vice president of the organizational customer unit at Microsoft at a Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources hearing last spring. "Microsoft is committed to making accessible products and encouraging and motivating accessibility innovation across the industry." Over the past 10 years, Microsoft has introduced a number of technologies designed to help ISVs create accessible software more easily. The Microsoft Active Accessibility tools, introduced last year, allow PCs and adaptive hardware and software to communicate efficiently with each other, enabling developers to innovate in their user interface without sacrificing compatibility. Microsoft has also designed the Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange (SAMI) format, which enables Webmasters and software developers to easily provide closed-captioned viewing and audio descriptions in multimedia Web pages and products. And they're all based on the Microsoft Windows platform, which is designed to fill every personal and professional computing need. The Windows family of operating systems includes the intuitive interface and integrated Internet capability of the Windows 98 desktop operating system. Microsoft Windows NT® Workstation offers businesses the same rich features along with enhanced security and lower cost of ownership. From the convenient Windows CE-based Palm-size PC to the BackOffice® family's multipurpose operating system, Windows NT Server, the Windows family is designed to be scalable and easy to use and manage. And soon to come is Microsoft Windows Terminal Server, an add-on solution designed for Windows NT Server 4.0 that provides thin-client support. This new server, which will be released later this month, runs Windows-based applications and displays them on desktop machines without any downloading. Key to the depth of the Windows platform is Windows Distributed interNet Applications (DNA), a consistent, unifying architecture that defines the set of services required for modern distributed enterprise applications. Combining Internet and client-server computing, Windows DNA allows developers to create programs that can be delivered over any network. All in all, Windows seeks to empower people with all kinds of different needs.