Microsoft accessibility showroom opens
Click on http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/383325_msftaccess15.html to read about (and watch) how Microsoft "hopes to spur innovation by giving its employees, as well as visitors, a sense of how people with disabilities and the elderly interact with technology." They opened a new Microsoft showroom on Tuesday that features typical workplace and home settings--with a twist:
There are three cubicles, including that of "Garrrett," who has only limited use of his hands and therefore controls his computer desktop with a reflective dot placed on his forehead, which can be tracked by a webcam. There's also the living room of retired baby boomer "Anne," complete with a dark wood cabinet that hides an Xbox. She uses the video game console as a way to exercise while playing the "Dance Dance Revolution" video game. And there's the bedroom of "Vanessa," a third-grader with dyslexia, who can choosebetween just a few options at a time, like "e-mail," "Word," or "Internet," while using her personal computer, thanks to what is essentially a three-key keyboard.
Watch the video here!