Microsoft’s Training Video Is A Great Introductory Guide To Disability & Accessibility

Microsoft logo in braille

When it comes to disability etiquette, there is a long list of dos and don’ts that we all need to be aware of. For those of us who are just starting to get familiar with them, Microsoft has created a great introductory video that tells us some of the very basics. This video was recently used by Microsoft to train its employees, and shares not just some very important etiquettes but also highlights some tools that its own employees with disabilities use on daily basis to get their work done easily.

The first part of this video, narrated by Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie, highlights some important principles –
put the person first, avoid outdated terms, don’t face and speak to the interpreter while talking to a someone who is deaf, let a blind person know you are around them, and don’t distract a service dog.
It then switches to a different mode, and tells the stories of six Microsoft employees with various disabilities who use tools like OneNote, PowerPoint, Skype, Cortana, and other tools to perform their daily job duties.

Microsoft is dedicated to inclusive hiring, and to make the workplace, products and content accessible. Learn more about the company’s inclusive culture, and hiring program for  candidates on the Autism spectrum.

Here’s a comprehensive list of disability etiquette you may find handy.

Go here for all Microsoft related posts.

 

2 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing! The Disability etiquette really is very helpful. I was not aware that some of my actions can offend people with disability.

  2. That’s interesting because in France where I live, “hard of hearing” is the stigmatized term (dur d’oreille), so we prefer to say “hearing impaired” (malentendant, the ‘technical’ term). So I use “hearing impaired” every time in English, but I’ll try to switch to “hard of hearing”. Thank you for this video!

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