Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development
    • Mobile

    Microsoft Now Offers Accessibility Insights as Open Source Code

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    March 22, 2019
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      development

      Making computers, software and the internet more accessible to users who have physical handicaps is the goal of Microsoft’s two Accessibility Insights applications, which are now  available as open source code.

      The two free tools, Accessibility Insights for Windows and Accessibility Insights for Web, help developers find and fix common accessibility issues early in the software development cycle. They can be used as stand-alone tools or can be integrated through their rules engines into a developer’s build process, Keith Ballinger, a developer services general manager with Microsoft, wrote in a March 12 post on the company’s Open Source Blog.

      “We’re on a journey to design, build and launch more accessible products to foster inclusion” for users with a wide range of physical disabilities, wrote Ballinger. “That’s why we created Accessibility Insights, a first step in developing tools that help developers address accessibility issues early in the design process. Our aim with Accessibility Insights is not to reinvent the wheel, but to modernize existing technology and optimize it for use in developer workflows.”

      The applications are built on open-source axe technology from Deque Systems, which works with companies to make their websites and mobile apps accessible to people with disabilities, wrote Ballinger. The Accessibility Insights applications are part of Microsoft’s larger inclusion efforts that also involve inclusive hiring and the Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Tester program, he added.

      “We are driven by the promise of more accessible products for more people,” wrote Ballinger. “That’s why we’re releasing Accessibility Insights to the open source and accessibility communities—it’s all of ours now, and together we’ll continue to make it a better tool and build a more accessible future.”

      To foster the new open-source efforts, Deque Systems is providing GitHub issue filing for Accessibility Insights for Web and color contrast detection heuristics for Accessibility Insights for Windows, wrote Ballinger. Microsoft contributed its Windows rules engine to the axe accessibility project so all major platforms could be covered.

      Identifying Common Accessibility Issues in Code

      Using automated checking systems, Accessibility Insights can quickly identify common accessibility issues in a developer’s code, enabling them to find code problems before proceeding to additional tests that require human judgment. Those human-powered tests also get assistance from the tools, wrote Ballinger, which helps the tests go more smoothly.

      “By focusing on easy-to-use tooling, we hope to help make accessibility more accessible,” wrote Ballinger.

      After downloading the code for the two Accessibility Insights tools, developers can join the open-source projects for Windows or for the web on GitHub.

      The Accessibility Insights for Windows tool includes a Live Inspect feature that allows developers to verify that an element in an app has the right UI Automation properties when hovering over the element or setting keyboard focus on it. In addition, the FastPass feature is a lightweight, two-step process that helps developers identify common, high-impact accessibility issues in less than five minutes.

      Troubleshooting capabilities within the application allow developers to diagnose and fix specific accessibility issues, including viewing the patterns supported by a control and invoking associated user interface methods to see whether an element responds correctly to user input and recording application events to verify that an app is generating the expected events.

      The Accessibility Insights for Web tool is a Chrome extension that helps developers find and fix accessibility issues in web apps and sites. It includes FastPass to help developers identify common, high-impact accessibility issues quickly and assessment capabilities that allow anyone with HTML skills to verify that a web app or website is 100 percent compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.

      “We value the insights of a diverse community to ensure that we build the best tooling in the industry,” wrote Ballinger. “Together, with partners, developers, designers, and the disability community, we can ensure equal access to information for everyone.”

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×