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Bridging the Disability Divide

The ‘Disability Divide’ is the gap in societal inclusion for people with disabilities, including in education, employment, and access to technology. As the world begins recovering from the pandemic, we are committed to helping decrease the gap, starting with affordable and accessible technology.

Read about our commitment

Accessibility at Microsoft

Inclusive hiring

Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. One of the ways we fulfill this ambition is through an unwavering commitment to a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.

Recruiting

Our inclusive hiring career site provides details on hot jobs, up-coming events, employee stories, and frequently asked questions for candidates with disabilities, as well as a disability hiring toolkit for recruiters, information about the Microsoft Autism Hiring Program, and other resources.

Onboarding

Successful onboarding is vital to all new Microsoft employees. We offer an accessible new employee orientation program, an assigned mentor to assist with the transition, assistive technologies for your office, plus services such as building orientation, team training, and campus tours.

Accommodations

Our employees have access to support navigating their Microsoft benefits, health and wellness programs, ASL interpreters, and reasonable accommodations for medical needs or disabilities—which may include modified work schedules, assistive technology, and assistance when travelling.

Training

Team-centric and company-wide training is offered to all employees. Topics such as disability education, etiquette, and inclusive best practices are just part of our training efforts.

Employee community

We strive to build and enable the future of disability inclusion with our annual employee conference, the Microsoft Ability Summit, and numerous Employee Resource Groups for people with disabilities and allies.

Inclusive design

Designing for inclusivity opens our experiences and reflects how people adapt to the world around them. To help fulfill our mission of empowering everyone, we created a comprehensive toolkit to guide inclusive design.

Innovation and research

Innovation requires intention. In our Xbox Inclusive Lab and the Microsoft Enable Lab, Microsoft researchers focus on creating technologies that empower everyone.

Hack culture

Each summer, Microsoft hosts global hackathons as a part of our annual one-week event. Since the first hackathon in 2014, we've formed "Ability Hacks" focused on solving unique challenges faced by people living with disabilities—150 hacks so far and counting.

Accessibility resources and training

We are sharing what we've learned about accessibility and disability inclusion. From creating accessible content, products, and experiences, to disability hiring and more—we have tips and training that will benefit everyone.

Explore accessibility resources

Working with others to make progress

Microsoft engages with policymakers, people with disabilities, and subject-matter experts to improve disability inclusion and accessibility.

Public policy

Policymakers can help improve access to education, employment, and government services by supporting existing accessibility standards in their procurement and inclusion policies.

Read public policy guidance

Ability Summit

Ability Summit is an annual digital event where you can discover new accessible technology, learn from leaders with disabilities, and explore how accessibility can empower everyone within an organization and your community.

Explore Ability Summit 2024 videos Explore Ability Summit 2023 videos