Microsoft Innovates Disability Friendly Products - Essay Example

Microsoft Innovates Disability Friendly Products John Q. The objective of the study is to analyze the role of a business towards a social issue in terms of communication and action. The study has considered Microsoft Corporation and the social issue is the challenge faced by people with disability. John Q. Student Professor D Business 344 March 26, 2014 Microsoft Innovates Disability Friendly Products Introduction According to the Global CSR RepTrak 100, the IT company Microsoft has been holding the first position for the performance in corporate social responsibility for the last two years(in 2013 and the previous year 2012). The business model of Microsoft gives priority to social needs. Through the wing of citizenship mission, the organization addresses the social challenges. The citizenship mission meets the community needs and makes the company more responsible towards the society. The company advocates the important role of good corporate citizenship, which helps people and businesses to realize their full potential. The Microsoft company reports highlight that, and the reports take into account the interests of all the stakeholders such as governments, employees, customers, shareholders, partners and communities. In fact, the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the FTSE4 Good Index also admitted that Microsoft is the leader of corporate citizenship. Steven A. Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp, explained that the company has many social activities. For instance, Microsoft YouthSpark empowers young generation through education and technology. Its ‘Technology for Good’ initiative donates software to non-profit organizations and it extends its impact through knowledge sharing. The sensitive approach gets reflected in its ‘Humanitarian Response’ chapter. The company’s ‘Accessibility’ chapter deals with creating opportunities for disabled people and wellness for senior people. Disabilities According to the UN report, nearly 15 per cent of the global populations are disabled. The term disability is basically an umbrella concept that includes physical, mental, cognitive or emotional impairment, or it can be combination all these challenges. A disability can be inborn or can be developed afterwards. The UN fact sheet also estimated that there are 1 billion people who live with some sort of disability. They are the largest minority globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that this figure increases with growth of population, aging process and medical advancement and Microsoft’s accessibility: Microsoft tries to combat the huge challenge with the help of technology. It believes that technology can empower people. Microsoft introduced accessibility features into its, software, and hardware and web services. It also partnered with other organizations for advancement. The idea behind the initiative is to help person with disability and influence them to explore their interest and talent. Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft made sure that the company visualize the upcoming days when technology would meet the requirement people of all abilities. Regardless of the fact that how different their requirements are the objective of the organization is to provide equal access to technology. This social idea is present behind all the Microsoft innovation Microsoft found out that those who have vision impairment or hearing impairment can take help from technologies to remove the obstacles and widen opportunities. Microsoft gives assistance in the form of, screen magnifiers, screen readers and speech-recognition commands. One can enter into the Microsoft Accessibility Support Desk for Free of cost. This support desk enables one to use specialized assistance from trained agents. People who cannot run a computer and use sign language, now can take the advantage of computer through Xbox video service. It understands sign language and computer can be run through it. Xbox video service is another tool to enhance accessibility with the help of closed-captioning support and Windows 8 device. Xbox 360 could unlock unlocks the opportunity for these peoples. The system was introduced in the institute of computer technology at the location of Chinese Academy of Science. Here the computer interprets hand gesture. Microsoft also started working with US air force to implement physical therapy system and the technology is Kinect for Xbox 360. Another useful tool from Microsoft is autism helping software. It caters the special requirement for the people with autism. However, Microsoft is sponsoring project and also hosting Hack Autism. It is also supported by the Hackathon, the Big Fund. It is bring people from different categories together to perform the task. The different people are designers, hackers and thinkers. It helps to develop scenario-specific prototypes to give advance knowledge and provide solutions. A group of Microsoft templates are there for the Autism patient’s families. Once a child is detected with autism the family can start using it. It helps to develop the communication between the autism speaker and the family Disable friendly design includes Windows 8: a touch only device is there to increase accessibility. One can run the computer without using mouse or keyboard. Commonly used options can be accessed directly from the sign in screen Office 2013: Features are easier for person with disabilities. Internet explorer 10: It gives zoomed view and clear webpages and access information quicker Soundscape: Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) developed service blind persons. Generally visually impaired person face a lot of tension about the outside situation. For instance, has the bus moved or not etc. He was given 3D Soundscape. It helps to move around on their own by emitting some audio beacons from destinations in the location. It literally says bus stand is 15 steps ahead at the right. It helped to understand the situation better and reduced the anxiety in a bigger way. Visually impaired persons mentioned that with this device people concentrate in the voice rather than the actual environment. Windows 8 UX app is another one. It allows people to use gestures such as tapping and swiping to communicate with the devise without using eyes. Analysis: undoubtedly these are very good steps towards society and a number of people are really benefited out of it. But the main challenge is how far these systems are affordable and available for the actual disabled person. The organization believed that each and every people have to get the opportunity to be equally able. Whatever concept, Microsoft has generated is great and useful tools but the challenge lies in making it available. It is admitted that it is extremely difficult to cater 15% of the global population. Whatever it is doing is also increasing its brand image and serving the purpose to maintain public relation. People get good social image and high skill set of the organization. The positive part is that Microsoft being a business organization considers about the community and the stakeholder. Apart from the bottom-line of the organization it is also thinking for the external environment including disabled persons. The sound tool, gesture understanding device and other equipments are revolutionary. What people could not think about these kinds of facilities in early days is reality now. Making a devise or equipment is not enough to serve the requirement for the largest minority community that is disable community. They are so big in number 1 billion that all the problems cannot be covered. The important thing is that the problems of disable person are highly personalized. There is no one size fit all. The device has to be highly customized. What is required for one person is useless for another person. A complete new set has to be designed to address the problem for the second person. Even though the problems are quite similar among the two people The major drawbacks of the Microsoft’s initiative are the most of the innovations are computer and software related. So naturally theses are costly items. There are many disable people who are unable to afford the service provided by Microsoft. Recommendations: Microsoft should think of doing something which will not only confine within the digital world. Those people with disability do not know computer or do not need to use computer, can also get the access of the innovation of Microsoft. More over considering that fact that many of the disabled person are from poor financial background it can think of making low priced equipments. Once Microsoft will do so, it will able to cater the bottom of the pyramid and the larger base. More number of people will be benefited after that. Concussion: the Microsoft innovations are first of its kind services. Previously could not think of such a device which can tell about how far a visually impaired person is standing from a particular object. But like others it has limitations too. All of its product and services is computer related. If it can make something for common people at a low price it will serve a bigger purpose. But considering everything it can be said that Microsoft is doing a good job and that is why the researchers and organization have given Microsoft the top position in the ground of social activity. Cited References Microsoft Citizenship report 2013. Available at http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18, accessed as on March 26, 2014 History of Microsoft Commitment to Accessibility, Available at (http://www.microsoft.com/enable/microsoft/history.aspx) accessed as on March 26, 2014 Microsoft Citizenship report 2012, available at download.microsoft.com/.../MS%202012%20Citizenship%20Report.pdf‎ ‎, accessed as on March 26, 2014 Disabilities “World Health Organization. Retrieved 11 August 2012 UN report, Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities, available at http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=18, accessed as on March 26, 2014 Read More