Hello, AURC Family!
We hope you had a great summer and are happy and healthy. We know that COVID-19 has a disproportionate affect of people with disabilities and employment. That’s why it is more important than ever to celebrate National Disability Emoployment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and get the word out about inclusive hiring. Learn more about the history of NDEAM from Jessica Rafuse in her blog Increasing Access and Opportunity.
We want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for being part of the AURC community. We are a group people with a vartiety of backgrounds, stories, and accessibility needsthat share a common interest for accessibility in technology. Microsoft is committed to accessibility and using the feedback from people with disabilities to make their technology even better. Together we are making technology more accessible.
Please continue to be involved AURC projects to let us know about your accessibility needs and experiences.
AURC Program Update
AURC has been quite busy conducting great research across a myriad of topics.
Updated Screener: We have updated the Member Form used to recruit into studies. Before participating in future studies, we would like for you to complete the updated screener. You are welcome to go ahead and complete the Member Form now or when you are selected into a new study.
Here is the link to complete the Member Form: https://redcap.link/AURCMemberForm
Some recent AURC projects include:
User testing and survey of Skills Quiz, a new LinkedIn feature that enables jobseekers to assess their career skills and post their performance on their profile
Evaluation of the accessibility of the Xbox Game Pass Beta app on mobile devices
Accessibility assessment of the Xbox Beta app on Windows 10 PC’s for screen reader users
Survey study gathering input from people with various disabilities with Windows Settings
An interview and usability study exploring how AI applications may empower users with disabilities, user concerns, as well as understand the concerns and challenges people might have when sharing data that are necessary to making AI applications a reality
A survey study about teleworking during the global pandemic, understanding the experience of individuals with neurodiversity
A survey and usability study on the accessibility of web browsers and search engine assessibility on mobile devices and laptops/desktop computers
An interview study engaging people with various accessibility needs and their experience with video for work and educational purposes
Thank you, again to all who have taken time to participate in these studies. We truly appreciate your efforts.
Upcoming AURC Project:
Do you have experience using the Azure Portal? We are looking for coders who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and other neurodiversities to share their insights on improving the usability of Microsoft’s Azure portal. https://accessibilityuserresearchcollective.org/study-84-azure-interviews
Talking Topics
Resources for people with disabilities on COVID-19 https://www.aahd.us/covid-19/.
Learn more about Microsoft’s response to COVID-19 https://news.microsoft.com/covid-19-response/?icid=mscom_marcom
Microsoft Accessibility Resources
We are happy to share resources to help you learn more about Microsoft Accessibility.
You can always stay connected on Twitter. Our handle is @MSFTEnable and Megan Lawrence @accessgeo.
CHECK OUT our website to discover Microsoft’s inclusive culture and Accessibility in Windows, Office, Xbox, and more.
The Microsoft Accessibility Features Sway outlines the accessible projects we have by disability type. Now you can easily discover what kind of technology we have for you and your community.
Microsoft Accessibility Megaphone is a quarterly publication of new accessible technology now available to customers. Check out some new accessibility updates and features. https://accessibilityuserresearchcollective.org/new-blog/2020/9/30/spring-2020-megaphone
Inclusive hiring and reducing the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is top of mind for Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer. Don’t miss our inclusive hiring website where you can look for jobs and get connected with our hiring community.
Please remember to let others know about the Accessibility User Research Collective (AURC) at https://accessibilityuserresearchcollective.org/
