Articles about accessibility

Innovega’s smart glasses aim to improve sight for people with visual impairments

Innovega, a company known for its augmented-reality contact lens technology, has turned its focus to a different product for now: smart glasses for people who are visually impaired. Read More

These fifth graders vibe coded a real-world Braille tool — and wowed their Microsoft teacher

The students in a computer science class at the Global Idea School, an independent, non-profit elementary school in Redmond, Wash., learned vibe coding through GitHub Spark and built a Braille 3D Generator, a tool that turns text into printable, tactile 3D Braille models in seconds. Read More

Seahawks test tactile device from Seattle startup that helps vision-impaired fans follow game action

The Seattle Seahawks gave blind and low-vision fans a new way to follow game action this season as one of… Read More

Michaela Benthaus spreads her arms as she sits in a wheelchair outside the Blue Origin crew capsule

Blue Origin breaks the accessibility barrier by sending the first wheelchair user to space

Jeff Bezos’ space venture sends German engineer Michaela Benthaus and five other crew members on a brief suborbital trip. “It was the coolest experience,” Benthaus says. Read More

Portland Trail Blazers offering device from Seattle startup to help vision-impaired fans track action

The Portland Trail Blazers will offer technology from a Seattle startup to help blind and low-vision fans better follow the… Read More

Seattle startup wants to bring vision-impaired sports fans closer to the action with tactile device

Athletes might possess the right touch to execute a perfect pass or shot. A Seattle startup’s touch is bringing blind… Read More

How the Univ. of Washington aims to make online systems and content more accessible

Taking small steps to make digital content more accessible can make a big difference. That was one takeaway from the… Read More

Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s chatbot, the disability divide, and more

Microsoft’s Ability Summit has come a long way since its inaugural event 13 years ago. What began as a meeting… Read More

Starbucks implements tech for blind and low-vision customers to aid in-store navigation and more

Starbucks is turning to technology to help blind and low-vision customers navigate its U.S. stores. The Seattle-based coffee giant is… Read More

With 25 years at Microsoft, Mike Tholfsen is old school — and a champion of education accessibility

Long before COVID-19 thrust how we teach and learn using technology into an uncomfortable spotlight, Mike Tholfsen was imagining the… Read More

Microsoft invests $2.5M in CREATE, a new center for accessible tech at the University of Washington

The University of Washington is launching a new Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) and… Read More

Microsoft equips veterans in rehab with accessible Xbox controllers

Microsoft is making gaming more accessible for patients at 22 Veterans Affairs rehab centers by supplying them with its Xbox… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Science fiction literature, biases in AI, and helping businesses go global

— “We earth men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things.” That statement seems eerily on point for what’s… Read More

Glasses give sight to the legally blind, opening eyes to the broader potential of making tech accessible

LAS VEGAS ― More than 180,000 people attended CES to see the latest in consumer technology. From autonomous suitcases to a… Read More

Working Geek: UW computer scientist Jennifer Mankoff channeled adversity into a career path

Jennifer Mankoff faced a slate of challenges that could have derailed her academic aspirations. It started with a repetitive stress… Read More

Quadriplegic man keeps on riding, using tech to enable 475-mile trip across state

Ian Mackay was 26 years old when a bicycle accident left him with a life-changing spinal cord injury. Ten years… Read More

As thousands set out to hack for Microsoft, book chronicles two defining projects for accessibility

The idea of a hackathon at any company is to harness the energy and creativity of employees to find new… Read More

From AI to inclusive hiring, Satya Nadella seeks further inspiration at Microsoft’s Ability Summit

Microsoft’s mission to create technology that can empower every person doesn’t just begin and end with the products it is… Read More

Microsoft and Apple collaborate to help visually impaired people use braille displays across operating systems

Microsoft, Apple, and other tech companies are working together to make it easier for people with impaired vision to use… Read More

Tech helped Cyrus Habib get to Washington’s second-highest office — and new innovations hold even more promise for the blind

Cyrus Habib presides over Washington state’s Senate in his capacity as lieutenant governor — a task that would have been… Read More

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